Legend of Zelda: The Infinity Gauntlet
by ShizukaRakugaki44
Summary: A steampunk adventure that combines elements from Bioshock: Infinite and numerous Zelda games including Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, and Hyrule Warriors!
1. Chapter 1: Clocktown

**For those who have enjoyed my video game-related fanfics, here** **'** **s another one you might enjoy that** **'** **s based on the** _ **Legend of Zelda**_ **franchise with some elements of** _ **Bioshock: Infinite**_ **thrown in the mix. For those who are new to my work, I hope you enjoy what I have to offer! Now for all you Zelda fans out there, this story is a rough sequel to** _ **Twilight Princess**_ **that also borrows characters and elements from** _ **Majora**_ _ **'**_ _ **s Mask**_ **,** _ **Skyward Sword**_ **,** _ **Ocarina of Time**_ **, and** _ **Hyrule Warriors**_ **. Some weapons and items will be used from those games as well, but I** **'** **ll also be throwing in some original ones as well. So without further ado, I give you** _ **Legend of Zelda: The Infinity Gauntlet**_ **a steampunk Zelda adventure I** **'** **m sure you** **'** **ll all love and enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Clocktown

It was a quiet day on Romani Ranch, like always. The goats were grazing, the Cuccos were clucking pleasantly, and the horses roamed the open fields happily. In the stables, a young woman wearing a white blouse, a yellow shawl, and a pink skirt was carrying a pail full of freshly squeezed goat-milk when she passed an adolescent female horse that was being brushed by a teenage boy. He had striking blue eyes, pointy ears, short blond hair, and wore a plain white shirt, brown trousers, worn-down shoes, and a green neckerchief.

"I finished milking the goats, Link," said the young woman. "How's Epona doing?"

In response, the boy named Link smiled.

"I take it that she's fine," the young woman said cocking her head sideways.

Link nodded as he continued brushing the horse which whinnied in response.

"She really likes you," the young woman responded. "But won't let anyone else handle her."

"Marlene!" An angry voice shouted.

The young woman turned toward the entrance to the stable and saw an angry-looking man approaching. He was middle-aged and skinny, wearing blue overalls and brown boots and his thick eyebrows were furrowed underneath a thin patch of brown hair.

"What is it, Uncle Ivo?" Asked the young woman named Marlene.

"Where is that lazy brother of mine, Taren?" The skinny man said looking around until he noticed Link. "How much longer are you planning to brush that horse, boy?"

Link held up five fingers.

The man named Ivo grumbled. "Sometimes I wish you could just speak, Link!"

"He can't, Uncle," Marlene said defensively. "He's mute."

"Sure he is," Ivo said folding his arms. "I bet he just doesn't want to talk."

Link frowned and continued brushing Epona.

"Hey, I'm still talking, boy!" Ivo snapped, making a sudden movement towards Link that caused his leg to brush against Marlene's pail causing it to spill its contents. When Ivo noticed stains on his pant-legs, he glared at Marlene and said, "Watch where you put that pail, Marlene!"

"I'm sorry, Uncle, I didn't mean to," Marlene said apologetically. "And I think my father's sleeping in the Cucco loft."

"Again?" Ivo looked toward a stairway at the back of the stables and marched toward it. "He needs to be running the ranch, not dozing like a pig!"

When Ivo was out of ear-shot, Marlene sighed. "I know my Uncle works hard, but sometimes he can be very mean."

Link nodded in approval.

"I'll talk to my father about this," Marlene said with determination. "Ivo had no right to say those things to you."

###

Later, while Link was giving Epona her daily ride Marlene was heading toward the gate that marked the entrance to the Romani Ranch. Curious, Link lightly kicked Epona's sides and trotted over to Marlene. In her hands she carried a basket full of milk bottles and cheese.

"I'm heading to Clocktown to deliver some of our goat-milk and cheese to the Milk Bar. Want to come along?"

Link nodded and padded the back of his saddle.

Realizing the indication, Marlene helped herself up to sit behind Link while he held the basket. Holding Link's waist tightly, Marlene held on as he cried out and Epona leapt over the ranch gate without too much difficulty. From there, they traveled along Milk Road through the forest until an open field appeared before them. Beyond that, the walls of Clocktown were visible. As Link rode Epona across Termina Field, he thought he saw another horse riding parallel to them with two cloaked figures on its back. He couldn't see their faces clearly, but kept an eye on them until they vanished over a hill.

"What's wrong, Link?" Marlene asked, noticing Link's tense shoulders as they approached the entrance to Clocktown.

Link shook his head and got off Epona.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Marlene insisted, following Link off the horse.

Link nodded and gave Marlene her basket.

"I won't take too long," Marlene said heading into the entrance. "You can wander around Clocktown if you want. Just meet up with me at the entrance around noon, okay?"

Again, Link nodded and guided Epona to some stables just inside the walls of Clocktown. It was a bustling place filled with shops, street vendors, markets, and at the center stood a tall Clocktower with a large clock on it and a hidden observatory on the roof. Then just as Link finished tying Epona to the post, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He looked behind him, and saw the two cloaked figures that were riding on the horse he saw earlier. Up close, he could see one was tall wearing a dark cloak while the other was shorter wearing a bright-blue cloak.

"Excuse me," asked the figure in the bright-blue cloak who sounded female. "Are you Link?"

Cautiously, Link nodded.

"We need you to come with us," the dark-cloaked figure said, also female but slightly deeper. "It's very urgent."

Link made no indication to move.

"Didn't you hear what we said?" asked the dark-cloaked figure impatiently. "Are you deaf or something?"

"No, Impa, I don't think he is," said the blue-cloaked figure defensively. She then turned to Link and said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're a mute, right?"

Reluctantly, Link nodded.

"Just like the others," the blue-cloaked figure murmured out loud. "He's definitely the one."

"Based on whether he can speak or not? I knew he was Hylian right away based on his hair and eyes," responded the dark-cloaked figure who was apparently named Impa.

Link's eyes widened and then he made a series of hand gestures.

"You don't know what a Hylian is?" Impa said, sounding surprised. "They're from the neighboring Kingdom of Hyrule, which is where we're from."

"We need your help," the blue-cloaked figure said removing her hood. Underneath the hood, she was a beautiful young woman with long blue hair tied back in a ponytail with a fair complexion and deep purple eyes. "The Kingdoms of Hyrule and Termina are in danger, and you're the only one who can stop this threat for you are—

"Hey," Marlene said appearing behind the two cloaked figures looking confused. "What's going on? Are you bothering Link?"

"We weren't bothering him," Impa said, turning away.

"Yeah, we were just leaving," the blue-cloaked figure replied, waving back as she followed Impa down the street. "Good day!"

"What were they asking you about?" Marlene asked turning to Link.

Link shrugged in response.

"They don't look like they're from around here," Marlene said nervously. "Let's go home."

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2: Lost Woods

Chapter 2: Lost Woods

Later that night, Link was sleeping soundly in his bed when all of a sudden he felt a hand placed over his mouth and nose forcing him to wake up. He saw a shadowy figure standing over him but couldn't see who it was.

"Don't make a sound, boy," the figure said, moving two fingers off of Link's nostrils. "Not that you can."

Immediately, Link recognized the figure's voice as being the same one from the dark-cloaked figure in Clocktown who was called 'Impa' by her blue-haired companion.

"There isn't much time," the figure known as Impa said. "You must come with us. The fate of our world depends on you, the Hero of Infinite Possibilities."

As the moon's light shined through the curtains above Link's bed, he saw Impa more clearly. She had pale skin, red eyes, silver hair pulled back into a tight bun, wearing a black leather vest over a white blouse with leather fingerless gloves, matching pants, and knee-length boots. After getting a sense of where her face was, Link attempted to knee Impa under the chin. Unprepared, Impa was hit and the impact forced her to let go of Link's mouth. Link then used this opportunity to grab a wooden sword by his bedside that he used for practice and stood up on the bed ready to strike. When Impa recovered, she looked up and Link and laughed.

"My, my," Impa responded. "You stance is just like the Hero's on the mural back home."

Confused, Link started to lower his sword. Meanwhile, Impa reached for a small crossbow at her side and quickly fired a glass arrow filled with a clear liquid. It hit Link at the base of his neck causing him to flinch. Then in a matter of seconds after pulling the arrow out, Link's knees gave out.

"I didn't want to have to do this," Impa said walking toward Link as his vision started to become blurry. "But you left me no choice."

Link then thought he heard Marlene calling his name before everything went black.

###

When Link came to, he found himself tied to a tree near a campfire set in a clearing within an unfamiliar forest. In front of Link stood the blue-haired girl with her cloak parted revealing a short white dress with frills on the ends, a sky-blue corset, white fingerless gloves, thigh-long baby blue stockings, and dark blue ankle-length boots. Behind her sat Impa who was tending the fire with a short stick.

"I'm sorry we had to take you by force, Link," the blue-haired girl said looking concerned. "It was Impa's idea, not mine."

"Don't put all the blame on me," Impa said sharply. "You also had that vision, remember?"

Link gave the blue-haired girl a confused look, which caught her attention.

"Oh, I guess we haven't introduced ourselves," the blue-haired girl said thoughtfully and made a slight curtsey before Link. "My name is Lana, Inventor and Sorceress Extraordinaire, while my companion by the fire is Impa, a member of the Shiekah Tribe and former nurse."

Link's eyes blinked but he didn't say anything.

"I take it you're still confused." When Link nodded, Lana reached into a hidden pocket in her dress. "Maybe these photographs will help you understand."

Lana then pulled out a handful of pictures that looked so real they made Link stare in awe.

"Judging from your expression, I see that you've never seen photographs before," Lana said looking embarrassed. "It would take too long to explain how these things are made but bare with me as I explain their contents."

The first picture Lana held up showed a floating city in the sky with a rocky foundation surrounded by other buildings and landscapes that seemed to be suspended in air while people rode large birds and other strange devices around it.

"This is Skyloft, a floating city that lies just above the Kingdom of Hyrule and it's where Impa and I are actually from."

Lana flipped to another picture showing a young girl who was about ten years old with braided blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, pointy ears, and wearing a pink dress with white frilly sleeves and trimming. On the front of her dress was an elaborately embroidered design consisting of three triangles forming one triangle, the outline of a bird, and a vase-shape.

"There, a young woman named Zelda is being held captive against her will by an evil man," Lana said flipping to another photograph showing a sinister-looking man with red hair tied back in a ponytail, dark skin, and wearing a black frock-coat with gold trimmings, matching trousers and polished black knee-length boots. "That man is Ganon, who secretly murdered Zelda's father and took his place as the Mayor of Skyloft. Now, according to a vision I just had, Ganon wants to use Zelda to create a device that will alter time to create different outcomes which, if completed, will have serious consequences not only on Skyloft but also the world."

Link's eyebrows furrowed in deep concern as Lana put the photographs away.

"How you fit into this, Link, is much more simple," Lana responded after the photographs were safely tucked into her dress-pocket. "Seven years ago, a carved mural was discovered inside a cave on one of the floating islands of Skyloft. It depicted a youth wearing a green tunic holding a shining sword above his head with a female figure standing over him and a dark being below him. The man who found the mural also found a passage written below it in the language of Skyloft's original occupants, who are all gone now, which stated this: 'When Skyloft is in Peril, a Hero from a the Land Below shall come Clad in Green bearing the Sword of Destiny and with the Goddess' Aid they shall Vanquish the Evil that has Appeared in Many Forms across Time and Space.'"

"Lana thinks this passage is a prophecy that was written by the occupants of Skyloft long ago," Impa said as she got up and approached Link. "So far the passage has been right about Skyloft being in peril, now we shall see if you're the Hero it's referring to."

In response, Link's eyes widened and his mouth was gaping. He then tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth as he struggled to untie his hands which were bound behind them.

"I think he's trying to say something," Impa said as Link started making loud grunts and yells.

"Too bad he can't speak," Lana said pitifully. Then she took a small glass jar from a leather-belt around her waist which contained a small glowing orb with tiny wings. "But I have a solution for that."

Lana unscrewed the jar, and the small orb flew out.

" _Sigh!_ I thought I was going to die in there!" cried a tiny female voice that seemed to be coming from the small orb. "Can't you put air-holes on those things?"

"Sorry, Proxi," Lana said apologetically to the small floating orb.

The small floating orb, which was apparently named Proxi, suddenly noticed Link and flew right up to him. "Who's this?"

"That's Link," Lana answered. "We think he's the Hero of Infinite Possibilities."

"Oh, well, nice to meet you, Link!" Proxi said flying up and down excitedly. "I'm Proxi, and I'll be your Translator Fairy."

Link raised an eyebrow, and then before he knew it the tiny orb suddenly flew right up to his mouth. He felt something soft briefly touch his lips before the orb flew away. Lana and Impa watched nervously as coughing noises erupted from the orb as Proxi's voice changed from a little girl's to that of a teenage boy's.

" _What in Termina was that?_ " Link flinched, hearing his thoughts being echoed by Proxi. Then he thought, " _Holy Giants! I can talk!_ "

"Proxi's specialty is being able to translate the thoughts of others into words by simply 'kissing' the person she's translating for," Lana explained. "Now you can speak freely through Proxi."

" _This is great!_ " Link thought as he grinned happily. Then he looked at Impa and Lana. " _How can I repay you, ladies?_ "

"By rescuing Zelda, of course," Lana said cheerfully.

"But we have to hurry," Impa said turning towards the eastern sky. "It will be dawn soon, and we need to be out of the Lost Woods if we want to reach the Sky Elevator in time."

"Yes, but I think Link could do with a change of clothes," Lana said and waved her hand causing the ropes that bound Link to come loose. "We can't have Zelda's future Hero walking around in his pajamas, now can we?"

As Link stood up, Lana snapped her thumb causing a green aura to surround him. He was initially surprised, but then the aura faded as quickly as it had come. In place of his farm clothes which also served as his pajamas, Link was now wearing a green tunic with chain-mail underneath, a pointed cap, brown leather fingerless gloves, white trousers, and brown leather knee-length boots.

"There, now that looks more like a proper Hero," Lana mused. "Now all he needs is the Hylian Shield and the Master Sword."

Lana held her hands outward as blue sparks emanated from her hands. In a few seconds, she was holding a large shield with an intricate design on the cover and a sword in a dark-blue scabbard. She walked over to Link and presented these things to him.

"These will be your primary weapons, Hero of Infinite Possibilities," Lana said. "Use them wisely on your travels."

In response, Link nodded and took the weapons from Lana.

"Once you're done suiting up, Link, let's get going," Impa said heading off to tend to the horse that was tethered nearby.

" _So why are you guys interested in rescuing Zelda?_ " Link asked. " _Is it just because of Ganon?_ "

"It's a long story," Lana said sounding remorseful. "We'll tell you once we're on the move."

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3: Sky Elevator

Chapter 3: Sky Elevator

" _So let me get this straight,_ " Link said, with the Fairy Proxi translating his unspoken words. " _You and Impa raised Zelda after her father was killed to keep her safe from Ganon but then seven years ago he took her away from you and she_ _'_ _s been locked up ever since while you two left to search for the Hero of Infinite Possibilities._ "

"You got it," Lana said as she, Link, and Impa moved quickly across Hyrule Field as the sun rose in the East. "And we think that Hero is you."

" _Just because I now look like this so-called Hero doesn_ _'_ _t mean that I am him,_ " Link said, looking down at his green tunic.

"That's what we're about to find out," Impa said looking back.

" _So how do I get to Skyloft?_ " Link asked.

"With the Sky Elevator, of course," Lana said. "You'll see it in a moment."

As they crossed over a hill, Link beheld a large castle surrounded by tall walls. But what drew his eyes the most was a looming tower-like structure that went all the way up into the clouds made of metal. Once they came to the entrance, Impa and Lana put their cloaks back on as they slipped past the sleeping guards and into the Market area that was below Hyrule Castle which stood on a hill above it. Not a soul was in sight as the three crossed to the center of the Market where a glass structure covered in metal was seated at the bottom of the metallic structure. Across the gate to the structure, a wooden sign was tacked on written in Hylian.

"' _The Sky Elevator is Closed till Further Notice. Sorry for the_ _Inconvenience_ _,_ _'_ " Link read in his mind, then he turned to Lana. " _What_ _'_ _s going on?_ "

"We forgot to tell you that as of five years ago, the city of Skyloft seceded from the Kingdom of Hyrule," Impa said looking around cautiously. "I have friends down here who've been keeping me and Lana up to date on things since we left."

"So basically, no one is allowed to go in or out of Skyloft," Lana added as she took down the sign after Impa nodded.

" _What are you_ _—_

Before Link could finish his sentence, Impa opened the gate and a door that was carved into the glass structure. Then Lana shoved Link into the glass structure and closed the door behind him.

"Good luck, Hero," Lana said though her voice sounded muffled on the other side of the glass. "May the Goddesses be with you!"

Link watched as Lana pressed a hidden button and then the glass structure went flying up into the air so fast that Link almost lost his footing. He held onto the brass bars located next to the seats that circled the interior of the glass structure. Below him, the Market grew steadily smaller along with the rest of the landscape. The clouds soon appeared and obscured the land below completely while above Link saw several structures floating in the air with the sun shining brightly over the horizon. He was so amazed that when the elevator stopped Link gave a sudden cry and fell onto the metallic floor of the glass structure.

"Get up, Link!" cried Proxi in her own voice. "We need to get out of the Sky Elevator before someone notices us."

In response, Link grumbled and got up. Outside, Link saw what looked to be the inside of an abandoned lobby of sorts. Cautiously, Link opened the glass door and then the metallic gate that was similar to the one in the Market before stepping out. He expected the dusty tiles to fall beneath his feet, but they were surprisingly steady. Looking around, Link noticed the morning light filtering in through an opening that was barricaded by wooden planks.

" _Guess this_ _'_ _ll be a good place as any to practice using this sword,_ " Link said through Proxi as he unsheathed the Master Sword.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Proxi responded.

Remembering the practice he had with the wooden sword, Link raised the Master Sword above his head. Feeling its weight bearing down upon him, Link quickly ran towards the wooden planks and made a downward strike. This in turn caused the wooden planks to be split in half and the sun came filtering in. Beyond the opening, Link found himself standing in a circular garden that was overgrown with weeds with a scattering of trees along the rim. Above him stood three statues carved from limestone that depicted three women with long flowing dresses and hair. Each one carried a golden triangle with a different-colored stone inside ranging from red to blue to green.

" _What are these?_ " Link wondered out loud as he gazed upon the statues.

"These are the Statues of the Goddesses."

Link turned to his left and saw a strange boy standing in the shade of a tree. He resembled a scarecrow with a straw hat, a plaid orange shirt, brown trousers and matching shoes. His eyes were bright orange and a wide grin was plastered on his face.

" _Who are you?_ " Link asked, holding the Master Sword in a defensive position.

"I've gone by many names in my lifetime," the boy said as two Fairies circled around his head. "But my friends call me…Skull Kid."

"Is that another Fairy?" said one of the Fairies, who was purple and sounded male, noticing Proxi circling around Link.

"I didn't know they had Fairies down below," responded the other, who sounded female and was yellow. She and the other Fairy flew up to Proxi and the three circled each other for a while.

"It seems my friends have taken a liking to your Fairy," the boy known as Skull Kid said with bemusement. "The purple one is Tael and the yellow one is Tatl. Now tell me, stranger, what is your name?"

Link hesitated and then he said through Proxi, " _Link, and the Fairy_ _'_ _s name is Proxi. She_ _'_ _s my translator._ "

"Translator?" Skull Kid raised an eyebrow.

" _I can_ _'_ _t speak, normally,_ " Link said lowering the Master Sword slightly.

"So you're a mute," Skull Kid said nonchalantly. Then he eyed Proxi and said, "I don't think I've ever seen a Fairy that could translate its owner's thoughts into words. Where did you find her, or did someone give her to you?"

"I joined him of my own free will!" Proxi exclaimed flying toward Skull Kid till she was inches from his face. "Just because I'm with Link doesn't mean he owns me!"

"Okay, calm down, Fairy," Skull Kid said shooing Proxi away. "I was just curious. You should know, Link, that land-dwellers aren't allowed up here."

" _I was aware of that,_ " Link said bluntly.

"Yet you still came?" Skull Kid laughed a little. "You've got guts, kid. I like that."

" _You won_ _'_ _t tell anyone, will you?_ " Link asked, steadying his sword once more.

"Of course not," Skull Kid replied. "Everyone's business is their own."

" _Then can you tell me where Zelda is?_ " Link said, sheathing the Master Sword.

Skull Kid blinked twice. "Zelda? The former Mayor's daughter?"

Reluctantly, Link nodded.

"If you're referring to her, she's locked up in the Goddess Statue," Skull Kid said turning to point somewhere behind him. "You can see it just beyond those buildings."

Link looked to where Skull Kid was pointing and saw a towering statue made of stone that resembled a woman with a peaceful face and angelic wings protruding from her back.

"The Priestess claims she's preparing for becoming the next Mayor when the current one passes away, but others say Zelda's being held there as a prisoner."

" _For what crime?_ "

"I don't know," Skull Kid shrugged and started to walk away. "I've said too much already."

"Hold on, Skull Kid!" Tael shouted flying to catch up.

"Wait for us!" Tatl responded.

Skull Kid briefly looked over his shoulder and said, "Oh, by the way, you might want to consider a change of clothes."

Confused, Link went after Skull Kid. But upon emerging into the street on the other side of the weedy garden, Link didn't see Skull Kid anywhere.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4: Skyloft

Chapter 4: Skyloft

With his eye on the Goddess Statue floating in the distance, Link followed the street that ran parallel to the garden past a line of abandoned shops to a wooden bridge that ran from one artificial floating island to another. Link stepped onto the bridge cautiously, trying not to look down, and was surprised by how steady the bridge was as he crossed it. On the other side, Link came to a crowded street full of people. Some were blond and blue-eyed like Link, while others were dark-skinned, fish-like, rocky, and even woody. But as Link tried to blend in with the crowd, he noticed a few wayward glances aimed in his direction.

" _Why is everyone staring at me?_ " Link said to himself.

"I don't know," Proxi replied. "Though you do seem out of place fashion-wise."

It was then that Link realized the majority of the people he passed by wore either snappy suits, cuffed shirts and trousers, or long frilly dresses. By contrast, his green tunic and cap seemed almost ancient. Ignoring the stares, Link rounded a bend in the street leading to a large plaza which several people were gathered in. As Link got closer, he noticed a stage-like platform where a tall woman with tan skin wearing a skimpy purple dress and a bird-like mask was speaking before a tapestry depicting the red-haired man Link saw in the photograph Lana showed him.

"Citizens of Skyloft!" cried the woman in a charismatic voice. "Today is the seventeenth birthday of Zelda, the heir to our beloved Mayor Ganon!"

In response, the people cheered much to Link's surprise.

The masked woman sighed. "But alas, this is also the day that the False Hero will appear!"

At that moment, the people looked startled.

"He will come wearing a cloth of green, bearing an evil sword upon his back, and attempt to **steal** the heir from her protective chamber inside the Statue of the Goddess!" The woman said looking around cautiously. "If any of you see such a man, report him to me, your trusted Priestess Cia!"

At that moment, Link realized what Skull Kid was talking about. As he tried to back away, he bumped into somebody.

The person exclaimed wildly and said, "It's him! The False Hero!"

Then everyone's eyes turned upon Link, including Cia's. A sinister smile crept across her face as she said, "Bring him to me, my loyal followers!"

Link attempted to get away, but the crowd closed in on him. Then multiple hands dragged him to the platform which he was tossed onto. As he scrambled to his feet, Cia walked up to Link and held him by the throat.

"You're awfully young to be the False Hero," she said while pulling a jeweled dagger from her side. "But nevertheless, you must die if our city is to be saved."

Immediately, Link head-butted Cia causing her to reel back and let go. Link was about to unsheathe his sword, but thought better of it and ran off the platform.

"Get him!" Cia yelled. "He cannot reach Zelda!"

At once, the crowd chased after Link. He tried going back the way he came, but it was blocked off by a section of the crowd. So he ran up a nearby hill toward a large tent-like structure with stings of flags around it. The people standing near the entrance got out of the way as Link entered the tent-like structure. Inside, the place was packed with food-carts, tables, smithies, and smaller tents. He ducked behind a large purple tent as the crowd entered the structure.

"Well, this is certainly a nice mess we've gotten ourselves into," Proxi said irritably.

" _You don't have to tell me twice,_ " Link said watching the crowd disperse. " _We need to get out of here first, and then find some way to get to the Goddess Statue undetected._ "

"Well, that's not going to happen as long as you're dressed like that," Proxi said.

" _Yeah,_ " Link said, looking down as his tunic with remorse. " _But where am I going to find some new clothes?_ "

"Over there, silly," Proxi said and flew over to a table where several kinds of clothes were laid out but nobody was around.

" _You're not suggesting we steal, are you?_ " Link said once Proxi was back with him.

"What other choice do we have? Unless Lana was nice enough to leave you some Rupees in that bag."

Link's eyes looked down at the brown leather pouches attached to his belt, and felt through them. To his surprise, he heard a few clinks and pulled out a handful of different-colored gems.

"By the Goddesses."

Link and Proxi turned towards the purple tent they were hiding behind and saw a face peering out from under it. The face looked surprised, belonging to a large woman with thin brown hair and an obvious moustache growing above her upper-lip. She wore a flowing orange dress and there were golden rings on her fingers. Before Link could speak, the woman used her monstrous hand to drag him into the tent while Proxi followed. Inside the tent, Link noticed a glowing crystal ball which shimmered briefly until the woman closed the curtains marking the entrance to the tent from the other side.

"I knew you would come someday, Hero of Infinite Possibilities," the woman said in a deep almost masculine voice. "I saw it in the future."

" _The future?_ " Link said with confusion.

"I'm a fortune-teller, you see," the woman answered. "Madame Starling is my name, and you are Link of Romani Ranch."

" _How did you—_

"The future, boy," Madame Starling interrupted. "I can see many things by simply gazing into that crystal ball."

With that, Madame Starling indicated the crystal ball in the center of tent which suddenly lit up.

"However, there is only so much I can interpret," Madame Starling said with a huff. "You're on the run from Cia's followers?"

" _I am,_ " Link responded. " _But I need to get to the Goddess Statue. Zelda's in trouble!_ "

"Patience, dear boy," Madame Starling said calmly. "You can't just go charging up to the statue without a sense of what you're getting into."

" _I know that now,_ " Link said gazing downward. " _Can you help me?_ "

"Of course I can," Madame Starling said. "Would you like me to tell your future?"

" _Um, sure._ "

"For a small fee of twenty Rupees."

Blinking for a second, Link reached into his bag and pulled out a red-colored Rupee. He gave it to Madame Starling, who tucked it into the folds of her dress. Next, she concentrated on the crystal ball waving her hands around it in concentric circles. The crystal ball lit up as shapes appeared across the surface, but they were too faint for Link to tell what they were. Madame Starling concentrated on these shapes for a long time until the crystal's light died out.

"There are some tumultuous times ahead for you, Link," Madame Starling said somberly. "But as long as you have faith in yourself, the world shall be saved."

" _Okay, but how is that going to help me get into the Goddess Statue?_ " Link asked impatiently.

"You shall need to change your attire, and find more weapons," Madame Starling said as she reached for something nearby and presented Link with a clean white shirt, brown trousers, a pair of yellow-tinted goggles, white socks, and brown shoes. "These belonged to my son before he moved out. They should be about your size."

Feeling grateful, Link took the clothes Madame Starling gave him and then said, " _Will these cost anything?_ "

"They're on the house," Madame Starling replied.

"But what should Link do with the sword and shield?" Proxi said as Link went to the back of the tent and changed. "He can't get rid of those."

"True, but I have a solution for that," Madame Starling said and reached for a brown cloth, a string, and charcoal. "He can wrap the Master Sword and scabbard in this cloth and I can use the charcoal to smear the designs on the Hylian Shield to make it seem ordinary."

"Do you think that'll work?" Proxi said nervously.

" _It's the best plan I've heard so far,_ " Link said, dressed in his new clothes with the belt, gloves, boots, and leather bag from the original outfit still on. " _I put the tunic and mail in the bag, just in case I might be able to wear them again._ "

"And indeed you will, boy," Madame Starling said. "But for now, you're just an ordinary citizen of Skyloft."

" _I can't thank you enough, Madame Starling,_ " Link said and put the goggles on. To his amazement, the lens were adjustable allowing him to see closer and further from the objects in front of him.

"Those are the Bird's Eye Glasses," Madame Starling explained. "My son wears goggles just like them."

" _Where he is now?_ " Link asked.

"He runs an airborne shop just outside the Bazaar that sells a variety of gear," Madame Starling responded.

" _Do you think he might have something that'll help me get into the Goddess Statue?_ "

"It's worth a try. He sells different items depending on what's in style."

" _Then I'll have to take my chance,_ " Link said and walked toward the curtains. He then looked back and said, " _Thanks, Madame Starling._ "

"Come again if you need my help," Madame Starling said and waved as Link exited her tent.

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5: Beakon's Airshop

Chapter 5: Beakon's Airshop

Once Link was out of the Bazaar, he was relieved to find that the Priestess Cia had left the Plaza and none of her followers were in sight. In front of him hovering just a little ways off was a small house suspended by two propellers that kept spinning rapidly with a bell hanging from the porch-like area and a rope-filled wench.

" _That must be the shop Madame Starling was talking about,_ " Link said as he approached the edge of the hill the Bazaar stood on top of. He reached his hand out towards the bell, but it was too far away.

"Allow me," Proxi said and flew up to the bell.

Using her strength, Proxi pushed against the bell until the ball hit the inside. A small but audible _ring_ was heard as Proxi fluttered towards the ground. Fortunately, Link leaped from the hilltop and caught her just in time as the rope rolled down from the wench and stopped at Link's ankles. With Proxi in hand, Link held onto the rope as it carried him up to the floating house. Once the rope stopped, Proxi flew out of Link's hand while Link climbed onto the porch.

"Thanks for catching me back there," Proxi said sounding breathless. "That bell was harder to pull than I thought."

" _Well_ _, you did a good job, anyway,_ " Link responded, noticing a ladder next to the wench that led up to a door. " _Now let_ _'_ _s meet the guy who runs this place._ "

After traversing the stairs with ease, Link entered through the unlocked door. Inside, he saw a rectangular counter with several objects laid out that had price-tags on them. Behind the counter, a young man in his early twenties wearing a knitted cap adorned with goggles that were similar to Link's and plain white trousers who was peddling on sandaled feet to keep a giant metal wheel that stood behind him turning.

"Hello," the man said quickly. "My name is Beakon, and welcome to my shop. Pick whatever you like and leave the payment on the table. But choose quickly because I can't keep the shop suspended for very long when there's two people on it."

Link glanced at the items on the counter, but none of them seemed useful. Then towards the end, he noticed an object that consisted of a metallic tube with what looked to be a bird's foot sticking out of it attached to a pair of leather straps.

"What's this?" Link asked.

"Don't you know?" Beakon said mockingly. "It's a Talon Clasp. They were once used to ride the Skyloft Rails."

" _The Skyloft Rails?_ "

Beakon looked dubiously at Link. "You're not from around here, huh?"

Link hesitated to say anything.

"Don't worry, kid," Beakon said assuredly. "I won't tell anybody."

With that, Link sighed.

"Anyway, the Skyloft Rails are a system of transports suspended by airborne cables that are used to transport supplies and people across the Eight Districts," Beakon explained, nodding his head toward the window.

Link looked outside and he saw several metallic ropes hanging above the buildings in the distance with several box-shaped objects moving along them.

"The Talon Clasps were used by construction workers to fix Rails that were getting rusty or not working right, but then the kids started using them for recreational means. Originally, it wasn't against the law but then after Mayor Ganon came into power all the Talon Clasps were recalled."

" _So why do you have one?_ " Link wondered.

"Let's just say that it's a memento from my younger days," Beakon admitted. "I've been trying to get it off my hands for a while, but no one wants to buy it."

" _I could buy it from you,_ " Link offered. " _How much does it cost?_ "

" 200 Rupees," replied Beakon.

" _200 Rupees!_ " exclaimed Link. " _Why is it so much?_ "

"Because its illegal," Beakon said firmly.

Link searched though his bags, but discovered that he only had about 190 Rupees in total since he gave away 20 for the fortune-telling that Madame Starling provided.

Beakon noticed Link's downcast look and said, "Tell you what. I'll give you the Talon Clasp for free in exchange for a small favor."

" _Name it,_ " Link said, looking up.

"Well, you see, I have a pet beetle who went missing a few days ago and I don't know where he is. If you can find him for me, then the Talon Clasp is yours."

" _What does he look like?_ "

"He's a Horned Colossus Beetle, which are very rare, so he shouldn't be too hard to find," Beakon said. "Ask Agnes if you have any questions. She's sort of a…bug expert."

" _When did you last see your beetle?_ "

"Right as I was passing over the Kokiri District, which is past the Windmill on the eastern side of this island." Then just as Link was about to leave, Beakon said, "But if you're going to catch him, you'll need a Bug-Catching Net."

" _Like this?_ " Link held up a stick with a hoop at the end that had thin ropes woven into a bag-like pattern.

"Yeah, you'll need that. It's going to cost you 50 Rupees, though."

" _I can afford that,_ " Link said and left his only Purple Rupee on the counter.

"Thank you, and good luck finding my beetle," Beakon said and pulled a lever to his left.

This in turn caused a trap-door to open underneath Link's feet and he fell down towards the ground below. Fortunately, Link somersaulted midair which made his landing softer. Then on his feet, Link looked to the East and saw a windmill near a hillside. Beyond that, Link saw a wooden bridge that led to an area that was covered in trees and a heavy mist lay over it.

" _That must be the Kokiri District,_ " Link said with the Bug-Catching Net in hand. " _Let_ _'_ _s go, Proxi._ "

The Fairy bobbed up and down in response, and so Link broke into a trot toward the Windmill.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6: Kokiri District

Chapter 6: Kokiri District

Past the Windmill, Link came to the wooden bridge that led into the Kokiri District and walked slowly across it. About midway, the mist that surrounded the District covered the bridge, obscuring the clouds below the bridge which made Link's passage a little more difficult. Once he was safely across, he beheld a place that was full of thick trees and dancing lights which Link presumed were Fairies as Proxi seemed to be interacting with them. Meanwhile, Link looked on the ground for any signs of Bugs with the Bug-Catching Net in hand.

After what seemed like hours of doing this, Link stopped and sighed.

"What's wrong, Link?" Proxi asked.

" _I can_ _'_ _t seem to find any Bugs around here,_ " Link replied.

"That's because you're not looking in the right places. The Fairies told me that there's a grove nearby that Bugs like to hang out in."

" _All right, then let_ _'_ _s go there._ "

###

Later, Link and Proxi came to a grove-like place with Fairies lighting up the misty air accompanied by the humming sounds of insects. In the center of this grove was a shaft of sunlight filtering in through the thick canopy of treetops and there stood a young woman who was looking down at the ground.

" _Um, excuse me,_ " Link said nervously.

The young woman looked up cautiously. She had blonde hair tied up in pigtails, purple eyes, and pointed ears. In her gloved hands she carried a small parasol to shield the sun's rays and a picnic basket under one arm. A pair of artificial butterfly wings protruded from the back of her dress which was turquoise with white sleeves and trimmed at the end with embroideries.

" _Are you_ _…_ _Agnes?_ " Link asked.

"Princess Agnes, to be exact!" replied the young woman. "The Kingdom of Insects is my domain, and my loyal subjects are the Bugs themselves."

Link was about to say something but thought otherwise.

"But you've caught me at a bad time as I'm desperately searching for the guests I invited to my tea-party yesterday," Agnes said with downcast eyes that made their way slowly up to Link's. "Can you help me find them?"

" _Sure, what do they look like?_ "

"They're Golden Bugs, and there are twenty-four of them in total. If you find all of my guests, then I'll give you a special reward."

" _Okay, but I was wondering if you could help me as well. I_ _'_ _m trying to find a Horned Colossus Beetle. Can you tell me what it looks like._ "

"A Horned Colossus Beetle?" Agnes looked around and pointed at one of tree-trunks. "I believe that's one."

Link followed Agnes' finger and saw a large beetle with red circles around its eyes, a turquoise exoskeleton, and horn-like structures protruding from its head. Assuming Agnes was correct, Link dashed toward the beetle with the Bug-Catching Net raised. He swung it down on the beetle, but its yellow wings unfurled and the beetle became airborne.

"Catch it now, before it flies away!" Agnes cried.

As the beetle flew up toward the opening in the canopy, Link leaped into the air and swung the Bug-Catching Net in an arc. The beetle was inside the net, but was about to fly away again until Link closed the net up.

"Yay, you did it!" Agnes cheered. "Was he a friend of yours?"

" _Sort of,_ " Link said turning to Agnes. " _I_ _'_ _m going to return this Bug to its rightful owner, and then I_ _'_ _ll help you find the Golden Beetles._ "

"All right, I'll be here," Agnes said waving as Link left the grove.

###

"Wow, I can't believe you actually pulled it off," Beakon said looking at the beetle that flew around inside the Bug-Catching Net Link carried. "That's the one who went missing. Put him in that cage over there and then you can have the Talon Clasp free of charge like I promised."

Next to the window, Link noticed a small wooden cage that was yellow and red in color. He walked up to it, unhitched the lock, and laid the net up against the door to the cage. The beetle flew inside and as soon as it did Link hitched the lock. While the beetle flew around in the cage furiously, Link walked up to the counter and picked up the Talon Clasp.

"Be sure to hide that thing well," Beakon said reaching for the trapdoor lever.

Before Link could ask him further, the trapdoor was opened and he fell out like he did before.

"That guy really needs a better system than throwing his customers out of a trapdoor," Proxi noted as Link fell flat onto the ground below. "Then there would be fewer broken bones."

" _I_ _'_ _m fine,_ " Link said as he got up. He then examined the Talon Clasp. " _Might want to test this out to make sure it still works._ "

Holding the Talon Clasp on one arm, Link aimed the talons at a nearby pole and then he pressed a switch on the back of the tube which caused the talons to unfold. Next, he pressed what looked like the trigger, and the talons came flying out of the tube attached to a line of metallic rope that became stiff once the talons were imbedded into the pole. A few people noticed and looked surprised, including a pair of metallic canisters with red eyes, arms, and feet.

As the canisters made their way over, Link pressed the trigger again which caused the talons to come flying back. Then as he ran from the mobile canisters, Link flipped the switch to fold the talons once more. A pair of hands suddenly reached out from behind a tree and dragged him behind it. While the metallic canisters ran past, Link saw the person who grabbed him. It was a young girl with pigtails of red hair peeking out from underneath a green cap, wearing leather fingerless gloves that went up to her forearms like Link's, a white shirt underneath a green vest, brown-colored breeches, and knee-length leather boots.

Once the canisters were completely gone, the girl sighed. "Good thing I was here. Ganon's Clockwork Policemen would've overtaken you for sure."

" _Um, thanks,_ " Link said, unsure whether the girl was a friend or an enemy.

"What's your name?" the girl asked suddenly.

" _Link_."

"I'm Karoline. Nice to meet you," the girl said, holding her hand out.

Instinctively, Link shook the girl's hand. Then the girl who called herself Karoline pulled him toward a wooden bridge around the bend of the hill that led to a large building that looked abandoned on the west side of the floating island.

" _Where are you taking me?_ " Link asked.

"To the abandoned Knight Academy," Karoline answered. "I've got some friends there I want you to meet."

" _Okay,_ " Link responded though he wasn't sure what lay in store for him.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7: Abandoned Knight Academy

Chapter 7: Abandoned Knight Academy

Once they were inside the Knight Academy, Karoline stopped running and Link was able to catch his breath. The interior made the building seem a lot bigger than the outside, with wide spaces and large wooden staircases but it was dusty and silent. Then from upstairs, Link heard footsteps and instinctively moved one hand to the hilt of his sword which was still wrapped in the cloth Madame Starling gave him.

"What's the password?" asked a voice that belonged to a very muscular person whose outline was visible from the top of the stairs.

"Lumpy Pumpkin," Karoline said.

"All right, you can come up," replied the voice.

Karoline then ascended the stairs with Link behind her. Once they were near the top, Link could clearly see the person who spoke. He was a tall young man with a pompadour of red hair that was the same color as Karoline's, wearing a dark green short-sleeved shirt, tan colored breeches, and short leather fingerless gloves. Karoline briefly nodded as she walked past him, but when he spotted Link the tall young man blocked him.

"Who said you could come up here?" the young man asked with his arms folded.

"He's with me, Grody," Karoline said looking back.

"But he didn't say the password," the young man said firmly.

" _Isn_ _'_ _t it_ _'_ _Lumpy Pumpkin_ _'_ _?_ " Link said.

"That doesn't count," the young man known as Grody said glaring at Link. "You heard Karoline say it first, so now you'll have to guess what the new password is."

"Give it a rest, Grody," Karoline said.

"I'm just being cautious, Sis," Grody responded. "For all we know, he could be a spy."

"What's going on here?" Another young man suddenly appeared behind Karoline. He had short brown hair underneath a yellow cap and wore a matching yellow shirt with loose white pants.

"Oh, Pip," Karoline said nervously. "Thank goodness you're here."

"I just caught a spy trying to break into our little club," Grody said, picking Link up by the collar of his shirt. "Shall I toss him out?"

"Grody!" Karoline exclaimed.

Quickly, Link unrolled his right sleeve revealing the Talon Clasp underneath. Everyone looked at it, including Grody.

"Where did you get that?" The other young man known as Pip asked.

" _At Beakon_ _'_ _s Airshop,_ " Link answered.

"You know Talon Clasps are illegal for uses other than construction work, right?" Pip said.

" _Yeah, I_ _'_ _m aware of that._ "

Pip didn't speak for several minutes and then he said, "Let him go, Grody. He doesn't sound like a spy to me."

"Are you serious?" Grody said with a confused expression.

"I mean it," Pip said and turned away with Karoline following behind him.

Grody grumbled and set Link down reluctantly. "I don't know what you did to convince Pip, but I'm not convinced. So from now on, I'm going to keep my eye on you."

Link followed Pip and Karoline, but he could feel Grody's eyes staring daggers into his back. They eventually came to a small dorm-room with a round table where three other boys were seated. One was short and pudgy with black hair, the second was tall and lanky with a mop of blond hair, while the third was average-sized but slightly chubby with sandy blond hair. As soon as they saw Pip enter the room, they stood up and saluted.

"At ease," Pip said to each of them as they sat back down. Behind him Karoline stood while Link and Grody followed in.

"Who's that?" the dark-haired kid asked pointing at Link.

"This is a new recruit to our club, Crow," Karoline responded, and looked back at Link. "Go ahead and introduce yourself."

" _My name_ _'_ _s Link._ "

The boy known as Crow raised an eyebrow. "Link? What kind of a name is that?"

"Did your mom give you that name?" the lanky boy said mockingly.

"Good one, Stitch," Crow giggled.

"Leave him alone, guys," the sandy-haired kid said. "He just got here."

"Calm down, Fletch," Pip said and then he asked, "So where are you from, Link?"

Hesitantly, Link said, " _I can_ _'_ _t tell you._ "

"Why not?" Crow insisted.

" _If I told you, it could get me and you guys arrested,_ " Link answered.

"How bad can it be?" Grody asked stroking his pompadour proudly. "We're the Rail Riders, so we're used to almost getting arrested."

" _The Rail Riders?_ " Link wondered.

"That's the name of our club," Karoline said. "We formed it right after Ganon recalled the recreational Talon Clasps seven years ago, and all we do is ride the Skyloft Rails while no one's looking."

Outside the dorm-room window, Link could see the Skyloft Rails more clearly in the distance. They were higher up than he previously thought and some were dangling over the open air. " _It looks kind of dangerous_."

"But it's also really fun," Pip said. "That is why you have a Talon Clasp, right?"

" _Actually, I was hoping to learn how to use it for something else_ ," Link responded adjusting the pocket in his shirt where Proxi was hiding the whole time.

"Such as?"

" _Rescuing someone, from a really tall place._ "

"Like the Goddess Statue?" Grody said, causing Link to look at him with wide eyes.

" _How did you-_

"No need to be shy about it," Grody responded while his cheeks flushed red. "You've got the hots for Zelda too, right?"

" _Not exactly,_ " Link corrected. " _Someone told me to rescue her, because the fate of the world depends on it._ "

"Sounds like the person who sent you to rescue Zelda was either a big fan or a nut-job," Karoline said.

"Or it could've been the False Hero," Crow said. "I heard rumors that he was spotted in the Plaza where Priestess Cia was giving one of her sermons."

"Yeah, I heard that too," Stitch added.

"They say he's originally from the land below," Crow said as he eyed Link carefully. "Maybe he had help."

Link paused and then he said, " _If I told you I was the False Hero, would you tell the authorities?_ "

Everyone looked at Pip, who shook his head. "No, we wouldn't. In fact, we'd be more than willing to help you succeed in rescuing Zelda from the Goddess Statue."

Surprised by Pip's answer, Link asked, " _Um, why?_ "

"Because pissing off Ganon is what we do best," Karoline answered cheerfully.

"So you're originally from the land below?" Pip asked.

" _Yes_ _,_ " Link said.

"I see," Pip remarked. "No wonder you were hesitant to talk about it."

"But don't worry, Link," Karoline said patting Link in the back. "Your secret is safe with us. Now let's teach you how to use the Talon Clasp so you can rescue Zelda before the day ends."

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8: The Skyloft Rails

Chapter 8: Skyloft Rails

"Okay, now repeat after me," Karoline said to Link as they stood on the edge of a loading bay behind a floating factory in the Hylian District. "Flip the switch to unhook the talons, aim them at nearby line, and then press the button to release the line."

" _And after that?_ " Link wondered, following the Skyloft Rail that started above their heads down to a platform that was several feet below the loading bay over an area of open air.

"You just hold on," Karoline replied, aiming the Talon Clasp on her arm at the rail-line overhead.

Once the talons securely grabbed the rail, Karoline leapt off the loading dock and went flying down to the platform where she safely landed.

Link was about to follow her when he felt a pinch on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Pip standing behind him.

"Here's a little tip," Pip said and pointed to a small nob on the side of the tube. "To control the amount of rope, turn the nob right to extend the line and then left to stop."

"What are you waiting for?" Grody shouted looking past a large wooden crate. "The factory workers are going to finish their lunch soon!"

"Keep it down, Grody!" Pip snapped.

A murmur of voices suddenly erupted from beyond the wooden crate.

"I think they heard us," Fletch said nervously.

"Get going, Link," Pip said. "We'll follow behind you."

Immediately, Link followed Karoline's instructions and flipped the switch to unfold the talons. Then he aimed the talons at the rail above and pressed the button. When the talons hit the rail after the line was released, Link flipped the switch again to close the talons on the rail. Once this happened, Link jumped off the loading bay and held on. The Clasp carried him down the rail-line, but he forgot to turn the nob left and so the rope kept extending causing Link to dip further below the upcoming platform. Quickly, he corrected himself and turned the nob causing him to impact the platform knee-first. Karoline noticed and pulled Link up.

"Are you all right?" Karoline asked as she retracted Link's line just as the other boys showed up.

" _Yeah, I_ _'_ _m fine,_ " Link said and noticing his shirt pocket quivering.

Unfortunately, Karoline noticed too. "What's that in your pocket?"

" _Uh, nothing,_ " Link responded putting a hand lightly over his pocket.

"Let me see." Karoline pried Link's fingers away though Link tried to push her away.

"Hey, back off!" Proxi cried, flying out of Link's pocket and hovering a few inches from Karoline's nose. "Don't you know there's a thing called 'personal space'?"

"Is that a…Fairy?" Karoline said, pointing at Proxi causing the boys to look in her direction.

"Cool!" Crow said reaching for an empty jar. "I've always wanted to catch a stray Fairy."

"I'm not a stray Fairy!" Proxi exclaimed and landed on Link's shoulder. "I travel with Link and speak on his behalf."

"His behalf?" Pip noticed Link's mouth was closed and realized, "So you're—

"A mute?" Grody chuckled. "I should've guessed since your voice sounded a bit distorted."

" _I_ _'_ _m speaking from my mind, you idiot!_ " Link glared as Proxi translated.

"What did you just say?" Grody gritted his teeth.

"Don't think about it, Grody," Pip said standing in Grody's way.

"But he just called me an idiot," Grody said clenching his fists. "And no one gets away with calling me an idiot."

"You'd better apologize to him, Link," Stitch taunted.

"Or Grody will turn you into pumpkin soup," Crow added.

"Not while I'm here," Pip said sternly.

"Yeah, why should he apologize?" Karoline said pointing an accusing finger at Grody. "You shouldn't have made fun of Link in the first place, brother!"

Before Grody could speak, a pair of metallic canisters similar to the ones Link encountered earlier suddenly appeared at the end of the street that connected the platform to a poorhouse neighborhood in the Hylian District.

"Shoot!" Pip exclaimed. "It's Ganon's Policemen!"

"The factory workers must've called them in," Crow guessed.

"We've got to get out of here," Karoline said and noticed a rail-line below the street. "We'll use that line to get back to HQ."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Pip said and readied his Talon Clasp. "Follow my lead!"

As Ganon's Policemen closed in, the Rail Riders leapt off the edge of the platform and latched onto the rail-line below. Link almost missed, but managed to grab on just as he was about to plummet toward the clouds. He tried to keep up with the group as they swung from rail to rail throughout the Hylian District which consisted of brick buildings, fountain squares, and small green parks here and there. But at some point, Link missed them and he found himself traveling along a rail that took him out of the Hylian District and into another that consisted of one giant swamp with thick trees and muddy waters. To his right, Link could see the Goddess Statue looming tall as ever even as he seemed to be getting further away from it.

Eventually, the rail-line ended on the shoreline to a murky lake inside a barn-like structure. Link retracted the Talon Clasp and landed softly on the roof of a passenger cable-car that was parked. Next to the cable-car was a platform and an unmanned booth with a sign that said, 'Deku Swamp Tours' in bright red with a flashy yellow background. Behind the booth, Link saw a group of well-dressed Hylians milling around while a strange creature that resembled a wooden stump stood nervously on the dock to the murky lake next to a boat made of leaves and wood.

" _What_ _'_ _s going on?_ " Link asked approaching the crowd after hiding his Talon Clasp underneath his shirt sleeve.

"It's my twin sister, Kasai," cried an old woman with wrinkled green skin, white hair, and wearing a black robe. "She went into the Woods of Wonder, and hasn't come back yet."

"Yeah, and we want our money back," cried an overweight Hylian with brown hair wearing a striped suit.

"Plus, we're starving," said a woman who was standing next to the brown-haired Hylian wearing a pink velvet dress, white gloves, with a lot of makeup on. "Have you got anything to eat around here, Madam Kouri?"

"We've got fruits and veggies!" the wooden creature offered. "That's what we Dekus primarily eat around here."

"Ugh, no thanks," replied the woman in the pink dress who gave the creature a disgusted look.

" _I_ _'_ _ll go look for your sister,_ " Link said, causing everyone to stare at him. " _Just tell me which way she went._ "

"That way," the old woman known as Kouri said, pointing to a cave-like structure inside a cliff that stood a little ways off from the shoreline. As Link followed the path that was barely seen through the underbrush, Kouri yelled, "Be careful, young man! The Woods of Wonder are like a maze. If you get lost, you'll end up back at the beginning. So keep that in mind, will you?"

" _I won_ _'_ _t forget!_ " Link replied, and ran into the cave.

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9: The Woods of Wonder

Chapter 9: The Woods of Wonder

After following a small white monkey through the maze of hedges and clearings that made up the Woods of Wonder, Link eventually found an old woman lying on the ground who looked identical to Madam Kouri with the same white hair, greenish skin, and black robe. The only difference was that this woman wore a large red jewel on her forehead whereas Kouri's forehead jewel was blue.

" _Excuse me,_ " Link said approaching the fallen woman. " _Are you_ _Kasai?_ "

"Who wishes to know?" asked the old woman who groaned softly.

" _I'm Link. Your sister Kouri and the tourists were worried, so I offered to look for you,_ " Link explained and held out his hand. " _Can you stand?_ "

"No, I can't," Kasai said shaking her head. "Do you have an Energy Potion on you?"

Link searched his packs and shook his head.

"Then get one!" Kasai snapped. "And be quick! It'll be dark in a few hours, and that's when the Deku Swamp becomes extremely dangerous."

" _Don't worry, Kasai,_ " Link said as he started heading back the way he came. " _I'll be back soon!_ "

"That's 'Madam Kasai' to you!" Kasai responded.

###

"Did you find her?" asked Madam Kouri once Link had returned. The Hylian tourists were starting to load onto the cable-car which was being driven by the small Deku who originally stood by the boat.

" _Yes, but she's been hurt,_ " Link answered. " _She asked for something called an 'Energy Potion'._ "

"Oh, I know just what she's talking about," Madam Kouri said as she pulled a glass vial full of red liquid from a hidden pocket in her robe. "It'll heal her injuries and make her strong enough to get back."

" _Okay, thanks,_ " Link said and went back into the Woods of Wonder.

He found Madam Kasai in the same place, and gave her the vial. She then pulled the wooden cork off and took a sip from the vial. A few moments later, Madam Kasai was standing up and rubbing her back.

" _Feeling better?_ " Link asked.

"Yes, but the effects of the potion will wear off soon," Madam Kasai said. "So if you could accompany me back to the boat that would be great."

" _Okay,_ " Link said and followed Madam Kasai as she went through the maze. " _What brought you out here in the first place?_ "

"I wanted to pick some mushrooms for my sister who uses them to make Potions, but then I was suddenly attacked by Skull Kid," Madam Kasai grumbled. "He knocked me down from behind, thinking I wouldn't know it was him but I knew."

" _Why would he do that?_ " Link wondered.

"He's just a troublemaker," Madam Kasai responded. "He likes pulling pranks on people for the sake of getting attention."

" _But doesn't he have Tael and Tatl to keep him company?_ "

Madam Kasai gave Link a scrutinizing look, making him regret what he said.

"So I take it you've met Skull Kid before," Madam Kasai assumed.

" _Just this morning, and he didn't stick around for very long,_ " Link said hesitantly.

"Did he try to hurt you?" Madam Kasai asked.

Link shook his head.

"That's strange," Madam Kasai muttered out loud. "He never interacts with anyone without pranking them first. But who knows? The next time you see him, he might do something so I would steer clear of him if I were you."

"Sister!" Cried Madam Kouri who ran over to the entrance of the Woods of Wonder.

By the boat, all the Hylian tourists were gone but the Deku was still present.

The two sisters hugged and then Madam Kasai asked, "Where did all the tourists go?"

"They left while you were gone," Madam Kouri answered. "I tried to stop them, but you know how Hylians are."

"Yes, they do get easily bored if they're not entertained right away," Madam Kasai said then she noticed Link and waved her hand dismissively. "No offense, of course."

" _None taken,_ " Link said. " _I'm actually not Hylian._ "

The two sisters raised their eyebrows in unison.

"How can you say that?" Madam Kouri said. "You have the same blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin that most Hylians have."

" _But I was raised somewhere else,_ " Link responded.

"Like where?" Madam Kasai suggested.

Link averted Kasai's gaze. " _Um, the…Sheikah Tribe._ "

"You mean the Sheikah District?" Madam Kouri suggested.

" _Yes, that place,_ " Link said, hoping the sisters would believe him.

In response, the two sisters glanced at each other before turning their attention back to Link.

"Are you a member of the Royal Family?" Madam Kasai asked.

" _Pardon?_ " Link was confused.

"The Sheikah Tribe have protected members of Hyule's Royal Family for generations, including the previous Mayor of Skyloft who was the King of Hyrule's brother," Madam Kouri explained.

"Mayor Gaetano," Madam Kasai added. "Such a shame that he died, leaving an inexperienced daughter behind to take his place once she's old enough."

"But rumor has it that her nurse who was Sheikah stole her away, and though Mayor Ganon claims Zelda was found how do we know that the girl locked in the Goddess Statue is the real one?" Madam Kouri responded.

"Oh, yes, the Sheikah are known to use magic to deceive others," Madam Kasai said circling behind Link while he wasn't looking. "Perhaps there's no one in the Goddess Statue and the real Zelda is actually disguised as Sheikah, or a male Hylian to fool Mayor Ganon."

Before Link could react, Madam Kasai inserted a glass arrow with clear liquid into Link's neck. He immediately recognized it as the same one Impa gave him before he passed out, and tried to remove it. But Madam Kasai was surprisingly strong, and Link began to lose consciousness.

" _What did you just-?_

Madam Kouri suddenly grabbed Proxi and placed her inside a glass jar, preventing Link from finishing his thought.

"I just gave you a small dose of poison from a Sleep Arrow," Madam Kasai said. "You should be unconsciousness in a few seconds."

Link tried to speak, but Proxi's translations were muffled by the thickness of the glass jar she was inside of.

Madam Kasai grinned maliciously and said, "If we bring you to Mayor Ganon and claim that you're the real Zelda in disguise…

"...Then he will surely reward us," Madam Kouri finished.

As the two women cackled, Link drifted into a deep sleep and was out cold.

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10: Skyloft Prison

Chapter 10: Skyloft Prison

When Link came to, his hands were tied behind his back and he was lying in a candlelit jail-cell. To his right there were other jail-cells that were occupied, then on his left was a sleeping warden who looked to be Hylian with the glass jar that held Proxi sitting on the edge of his desk. Link tried to free himself, but the binds were too tight and he couldn't get up because his feet were bound too.

"Quite the pickle you've gotten yourself into, Link."

Surprised, Link looked past the bars and saw Skull Kid standing there.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue, or—

Skull Kid glanced over to the desk and noticed Proxi struggling to break free from the glass jar.

"Shouldn't we help her?" Tael asked, appearing from underneath Skull Kid's hat.

"Yeah, she doesn't look too happy being in there," Tatl added.

"All right, but do it quietly," Skull Kid said. "We don't want to wake the warden."

While Tael and Tatl were busy trying to loosen the cap on the glass jar, Skull Kid slipped through the iron bars and came into Link's cell.

"If you're wondering where you are, you're in the Skyloft Prison which is inside the courtyard where the Goddess Statue is," Skull Kid said. "You should make the most of this situation before you're executed tomorrow morning."

Link's eyes widened.

"After Madam Kouri and Kasai brought you here, your sword and shield were examined by Mayor Ganon's trusted advisor Ghirahim who quickly realized you were the False Hero and had you locked up. Meanwhile, the sword and shield were confiscated in a nearby armory but the security there was pretty lousy."

From underneath his shirt, Skull Kid produced the Master Sword which was still sheathed but uncovered by the cloth Madame Starling gave. Then from his back, Skull Kid pulled out the Hylian Shield which was hidden underneath a green cloak Skull Kid was wearing. The charcoal was gone and the shield was shining brightly in the candlelight.

"I don't know what those Gerudo witches told you, but they probably said some nasty things about me," Skull Kid said while he put the Hylian Shield down and unsheathed the Master Sword. "I'm as bad as they claim, and a whole lot worse."

As Skull Kid raised the sword, Link became stiff as a board. Then when Skull Kid swung the sword down, he cut the ropes that bound Link's feet. Awkwardly, Link tried to stand until Skull Kid helped him up. Link then stood perfectly still as Skull Kid used the sword to cut the ropes that bound Link's arms. Meanwhile, Tael and Tatl succeeded in loosening the cap on the jar and Proxi giddily flew out. She rejoined Link and flew into the safety of his shirt-pocket.

" _If you're so bad, Skull Kid, then why are you helping me?_ " Link asked, rubbing his sore hands and neck.

"Before you came, I was pretty bored," Skull Kid replied as he sheathed the Master Sword and gave it to Link. "The pranks weren't satisfying, and the people I pranked on were no longer paying attention to me. So then when I realized you were the False Hero Cia's been talking about for years, I figured it might be fun helping Skyloft's most wanted criminal capture his appointed prize before the day is done."

" _What time is it?_ " Link said as he reattached the Master Sword to his back and picked up the Hylian Shield to cover it.

"A few minutes past 8:00," Skull Kid said. "Now get going. Your princess is waiting."

Then Skull Kid slipped through the bars and trotted away into the darkness with Tael and Tatl following him. Once he was gone, Link unsheathed the Master Sword and used it to cut the iron bars in half. The clanging noise that followed when the bars hit the brick floors was enough to wake the warden up. While the prisoners in the nearby cells cheered, Link jumped over the fallen bars and ran past the warden who tried to stop him. Down the dimly-lit hallway, a pair of Clockwork Policemen appeared shooting beams of light from their claw-like hands. Link dodged the beams and sliced the metal canisters in half revealing the gears and shafts inside. A few more showed up further ahead, but Link cut them down like flies.

At the exit to the prison, Link was confronted by a single man. He was very tall, with chalk-white skin and short ash-blond hair, wearing a white top-hat and matching suit underneath a crimson-red cloak. His eyes were black as bottomless pits, and a single diamond earring gleamed from one of his ears.

"Surrender now, boy," the man said drawing a curved sword from his side. "Or I shall be forced to kill you."

Link said nothing and charged at the man with his sword raised. But the strange man blocked him, and proceeded to counter every single one of Link's strikes. So Link fought back and continued to strike until he was able to disarm the man's sword. Surprised, the man vanished in a shower of black diamonds before the Master Sword penetrated his skin. It was then that the Master Sword suddenly glowed and a being of light emerged. Once fully-formed, the being revealed itself to be a woman with a face that looked to be carved from stone, long sleeve-like arms made of blue and purple silk, wearing a blue diamond-shaped pendant, a purple dress and black tights crisscrossed by blue lines.

The being hovered in the air and turned to face Link. " _Follow me, Master._ "

" _Wait,_ " Link said, following the being out of the prison and into the courtyard where the Goddess Statue loomed nearby. " _Who are you?_ "

" _I am Fi, the Spirit of the Sword,_ " the being answered flying toward the Goddess Statue. " _You are the chosen Hero, and therefore my Master. The one called Zelda is inside the Goddess Statue, waiting for you to rescue her._ "

" _Okay, so how do I get in?_ " Link asked as he heard beams being shot from the Clockwork Policemen that were following behind.

" _There is a secret entrance at the base of the statue that will lead to a spiraling staircase,_ " Fi said. " _Near the top, there is a door hidden in an alcove. That is where you will find Zelda._ "

" _How do you know all this?_ " Link said using the Master Sword to block the incoming beams.

" _Because I am a servant of the Goddesses, and they speak to me directly,_ " replied Fi.

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11: Goddess Statue

Chapter 11: Goddess Statue

As the Clockwork Policemen were closing in, Link followed Fi around the base of the Goddess Statue to a carving of a door with a sun-shaped disk and rays streaming from it.

" _Point the sword at the door and concentrate,_ " Fi said. " _Once you've built up enough energy, release it and the door will open._ "

Before Link could question her, Fi vanished back into the Master Sword. So Link did what she said and pointed the sword at the door-shaped carving. The sword started to glow again, and then just as the Clockwork Policemen approached the statue from the other side Link swung the sword. A burst of light flew from the sword and hit the door, which suddenly rumbled as it opened from the inside. Link quickly went in and closed the door, leaving him in complete darkness. Feeling his way around, Link touched the tip of something and walked onto it.

Feeling elevated, Link guessed this was the staircase Fi mentioned and started to ascend. He kept close to the wall that ran alongside the staircase for balance, and then when there was nothing Link fell sideways. Landing on a stone floor, Link guessed this was the alcove and got up to see a wooden door with a metal handle and a keyhole above it.

" _This must be it,_ " Link said and turned the handle.

The door didn't open, but then it suddenly vanished causing Link to draw his hand away. In its place stood a blurry image of a castle made of white bricks with red-tiled roofing surrounded by several buildings and shops surrounded by stone brick walls. On the other side of this image Link could see a circular room with a barred window that contained a bed, a workbench, a wash-basin, and several pieces of machinery and metal. Then at the forefront of this room was a young girl about Link's age with long blonde hair, pointy ears, sky-blue eyes, wearing a pair of Bird's Eye Glasses, a white blouse, a blue skirt with a pink sash that had bird-like design on it, and brown knee-length boots.

On her left hand she wore a leather gauntlet with metal armor and three different-colored orbs that seemed to be glowing which she held out with her fist clenched. Lowering the gauntlet, a smile crept on the girl's face and then she noticed Link and looked confused. Using her other hand, the girl reached out to touch Link but her hand seemed to vanish into the image. Then without warning, the image vanished and the door was back where it was.

"Oh, rats!" cried the girl angrily. "The Punctures are still too short!"

"Let me talk to her," Proxi said quietly and slipped through the keyhole.

Inside the room, Link heard the girl's footsteps halt and the fluttering of Proxi's wings.

"Well, hello," the girl said sounding pleasantly surprised. "Where did you come from?"

"The keyhole," Proxi answered. "I'm Proxi, by the way."

"How did you get into the Goddess Statue?" the girl asked.

"I had help," Proxi said. "You're Zelda, right?"

"I am," the girl replied.

"Your nurse Impa and the sorceress Lana found the Hero of Infinite Possibilities and he's here to rescue you."

"Really? What's his name?"

"It's Link."

"Link." Zelda paused and then said, "Somehow that name sounds…familiar."

"Okay, well we have to get going," Proxi said urgently. "Ganon's Clockwork Policemen spotted him on the way here, but we used the secret entrance to get in."

"That won't be enough to stop them," Zelda responded. "There's another entrance inside the abandoned Knight Academy, so they might be heading towards that as we speak."

"Then let's go," Proxi said flying out of the keyhole. "You can open the door from that side, right?"

"No," Zelda answered. "The door can only be opened from your side with a special key that Mayor Ganon keeps with him at all times."

" _Then you should probably stand back,_ " Link said raising the Master Sword. " _I'm going to try to break the door down with my sword._ "

"But you can't do that," Zelda said nervously as her footsteps moved further from the door. "The door is made from Deku Wood, and nothing can break that except the Master—

Link pierced the door with the Master Sword and sliced it in half. The pieces fell down and crashed onto the stone floor of the room beyond. There was a loud _thud_ and then there was silence as Zelda look surprised to see Link and he of her. The two stared at each other for what seemed like several minutes until Proxi pulled on Zelda's hair causing her to move toward Link.

"Stop staring and get moving!" Proxi said, letting go of Zelda's hair.

"Wait," Zelda exclaimed and went back to her workbench. "I just need to grab a few things."

From the workbench, Zelda grabbed a pink parasol and a leather satchel.

"All right," Zelda confirmed and walked over to Link. "I'm ready."

" _I take it you've been planning to escape for a while,_ " Link noted as they descended the stairs.

"Of course," Zelda said following behind. "Being locked up in one room for seven years is pretty boring."

" _Then what was all that stuff on the workbench?_ " Link asked.

"Just some inventions I've been tinkering with to pass the time," Zelda responded. "Lana taught me a lot of things when I was living with her and Impa, so I didn't feel like putting that knowledge to waste. But this latest invention—

Before Zelda could finish, several clanging noises and footsteps were heard further down the stairs. In response, Zelda went back up the stairs with Link following.

" _Where are you going?_ " Link wondered.

"Don't worry, Link, I have a plan," Zelda said as they ran back into her room. "But you'll have to grab my waist."

" _What?_ "

"Just do it!" Zelda said as she pointed the parasol at the bars on her window and opened it, causing a sudden gust of wind to blast the bars away.

So Link did as she asked, and to his surprise Zelda leaped out into the open air. Link held on tightly as Zelda's parasol lifted them into the air away from the Goddess Statue.

To be continued…


	12. Chapter 12: Twili District

Chapter 12: Twili District

" _How is this possible?_ " Link wondered as he and Zelda drifted through the air.

"It's my Wind Parasol," Zelda answered. "Another invention I made a while back. It allows one to float along the air currents for a certain length of time."

"Which is how long?" Proxi asked, noticing that the spinning parasol was starting to falter.

"About…two minutes," Zelda said, and noticed an orange cloudy haze with black rain falling onto an area that consisted of tall buildings carved from stone suspended on floating rocks with stone bridges between them that was coming up below her and Link. "We should be able to make it to the Twili District before the parasol loses power."

" _What's the Twili District?_ " Link said as they approached a hazy dome-shaped barrier that was dark with orange-colored designs which seemed to cover the entire area Zelda was describing.

"A section of Skyloft that is consumed by the Twilight Realm," Zelda replied. "A race called the Twili live here, and from what I've heard they openly oppose Ganon so we should be safe there."

" _I hope you're right,_ " Link responded.

The parasol lost power, and the two found themselves falling into the barrier. Fortunately, Zelda's parasol was able to lighten the fall and she landed perfectly on a stone bridge. Link wasn't so lucky and fell flat on his face.

"Are you all right, Link?" Zelda asked as she knelt at his feet.

" _Yeah, I'm—_

Suddenly, Link cried out in pain.

"What's wrong?" Proxi asked.

" _I'm not sure,_ " Link responded through his teeth. " _Something's wrong._ "

"Link! Your hands!" Zelda cried.

Link looked at his hands and noticed they were slowly shifting into paws. He tried to get up but couldn't move. His eyes shifted and his body seemed to vibrate. Zelda watched with wide eyes, but she did not move. Proxi flew away from Link and tucked herself in the folds of Zelda's satchel. Then abruptly Link howled up at the sky as his whole body changed from that of a boy to a large gray wolf with a white underside and a pattern resembling a diamond on his forehead. When the transformation was complete, Link panted heavily and then he passed out on the bridge. On his right paw, a small triangle-shape lit up for a moment and then faded away. The same thing happened to Zelda's hand, which briefly distracted her for a moment.

"Well, look what we have here."

Zelda looked up from her hand and saw several figures approaching her and Link. They looked to be human, but their bodies were light gray with patches of black, their eyes were bright red, and their ears were pointy. Clothing-wise, they wore black robes and loose-fitting pants with intricate designs on them.

"Um, excuse me," Zelda said, trying to sound polite. "Something's happened to my friend. He's turned into—

"A wolf?" said the figure who spoke first, who was shirtless and ginger-haired. "Yeah, that kind of thing's bound to happen…

"…To anyone who enters the Twili District," another figure said, who was much chubbier than the first one and wearing a black-hooded garment. "But you, Miss, seem to be unaffected. I wonder why that is."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but my friend needs help," Zelda responded. "Is there some way to change him back?"

"Sure," replied the first guy. "Just leave the Twili District and never come back. We don't like trespassers, especially Hylians."

"But we can't leave," Zelda said frantically. "Ganon's after us, and we need somewhere to stay for the time-being."

"Then your friend's stuck as a wolf indefinitely," the other guy said.

"But wait a minute," a third figure said, this one being female with spiky blonde hair wearing a hoodless robe. "Doesn't Midna have something that can make one immune to the effects of the Twilight Realm?"

"You mean the Shadow Crystal?" the first guy asked.

"Yeah, that's the one," answered the female.

"Are you sure? I heard it curses people," said the second guy. "Didn't Zant use it to curse Midna before she overthrew him?"

"How should I know?" the first guy said. "I wasn't there when it happened."

"Then let's find out by taking these Hylian scum to Midna herself," said the second guy as he took a step toward Zelda. "I'm sure she'll give us a huge reward for doing so."

"Stay back!" Zelda said, holding her parasol out. "Don't come any closer!"

"Relax, dear, we're not going to hurt you," the female said grinning menacingly.

"We just want to take you in is all," added the second guy.

"Then you leave me with no choice," Zelda said and pressed the stones on her gauntlet which lit up. Next, she adjusted a compass-like device on her wrist causing electrical pulses to emanate from the gauntlet.

The Twili backed away slowly as Zelda punched the air in front of her causing a blurry image to appear. Instead of a castle with red-tiled roofs, the image showed a sun rising over an empty desert covered in ruins. Afraid, the Twili ran away.

"So it is true that the Twili are afraid of light," Zelda said triumphantly.

The image faded away, and the shadows became prominent once more.

"Now to find this 'Midna' person and see about that Shadow Crystal they mentioned," Zelda said to herself. "If it really does null the effect of the Twilight Realm, you'll be back to normal in no time, Link."

Zelda grabbed Link by the scruff of his neck and dragged him across the bridge in the same direction the Twili went. On the other side stood a building with no windows and very high walls. Leaving Link by the entrance, Zelda ascended the stairs and entered the building after the Twili did. Inside, it was pitch-black though the stones on the gauntlet provided Zelda with some light. She heard movement, but couldn't see anything. Then Zelda felt something hit her from behind and she lost consciousness.

To be continued…


	13. Chapter 13: Palace of Twilight

Chapter 13: Palace of Twilight

When she woke, Zelda found herself lying on a cold stone floor with several Twili looking down at her. There was a small flight of stairs and a large stone throne carved with intricate designs. In this throne sat a tall woman with ginger-red hair, red eyes that shimmered like rubies, wearing a loose-fitting black dress that exposed her naval area. At her feet sat Link, still in wolf form, with a chain wrapped around his neck. He occasionally growled at the woman, who glared at him in turn.

"So you're finally awake," said the woman mockingly. "I was starting to get bored."

"Who are you?" Zelda said trying to stand up, but her hands were tied behind her back. "What do you want?"

"I am Midna, the current ruler to the Twili and the leader of the Twilight Wolves," the woman answered. "I'm sure you've heard of them."

"They're the resistance group that opposes Ganon, right?" Zelda said.

"Exactly," Midna nodded. "Now I heard from one of my subjects that you're on the run from Ganon, correct?"

"Yes," Zelda said.

"Would you care to tell me why?" Midna insisted.

"I just escaped from…the Goddess Statue," Zelda answered nervously.

"Then you must be Zelda," Midna said and looked down at Link. "So that would make you…the False Hero?"

Link barked in response.

"So what that bird-brain's been saying all these years has come true," Midna said with a bemused smile.

"You mean Priestess Cia?" Zelda wondered.

"The same," Midna responded. "I take it Ganon kept you informed of what was going on in Skyloft including Cia's misinterpretation of the mural foretelling the Hero's arrival."

"Sort of," Zelda answered. "He didn't tell me very much. Most of what I know comes from these prophetic dreams I've been having."

"Prophetic dreams?" Midna's eyes widened. "How long have you had this ability?"

"For as long as I can remember," replied Zelda.

"I see, then you knew the False Hero was coming?"

"Yes, and his name is Link."

"Link…" Midna seemed lost in thought for a moment and said quietly, "I knew someone with that name, from a long time ago."

"You did? What happened?" Zelda asked.

"It would take too long to tell. So you're planning to leave Skyloft?"

"Anywhere is better than here. I'd especially like to go to Hytopia, a kingdom down below that's said to be the center of trendy fashions and popular culture."

"Hmm," Midna said pondering. "What if I told you that could arrange a means to transport you down to the world below so you could get to Hytopia?"

Zelda was stunned. "Really? Can you do that?"

"Of course, but I'll need something from you in return."

"Well, I don't have much to offer."

"What about that gauntlet you're wearing?" Midna said pointing. "My subjects tell me they saw you use it to summon light."

"Oh, the Infinity Gauntlet isn't for sale," Zelda said shaking her head.

"Then how did you summon light to a place that is covered in shadow?"

"I created a Puncture, with the gauntlet, to a place that had light."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Think of the Infinity Gauntlet like the Mirror of Twilight, only instead of merely connecting two realms that exist parallel to each other the gauntlet is able to create that connection at will and to more than one realm at a time."

"Interesting. Does Ganon know about this device?"

"He does, but doesn't know I've finished it."

"So using the gauntlet would be risky," Midna said under her breath. After a pause, she said, "Very well. I won't ask you to hand over the Infinity Gauntlet, but I would like you to do a small favor for me."

"What is it?"

"I would like you to find the remaining pieces to a special artifact called the Fused Shadow. It contains powerful magic that can overcome the World of Light. With it, I can break free from the confines of this district and properly lead the Twilight Wolves to victory. If you can do this, then I will gladly help you leave Skyloft."

Zelda thought about it and then she nodded. "It shall be done, but on the condition that Link goes with me and is given a Shadow Crystal."

Midna gave Zelda a confused look. "A Shadow Crystal? For what purpose?"

"To make Link immune to the effects of the Twilight Realm."

"I see, but how are you not affected by it?"

"I'm not sure, so I can't answer that."

"Then I'm afraid you heard wrong. The Shadow Crystal curses whoever gets transformed by the Twilight Realm to remain in whatever form he or she takes. In other words, Link can only be cured if he leaves the Twili District."

"But then how can I prevent him from turning into a wolf when we come back to the Twili District with the Fused Shadow?"

"He can either not enter the Twili District or…" Midna picked up the Master Sword, which was lying beside the throne, and partially unsheathed it. "You might be able to utilize our own source of light called Sols to make the Master Sword strong enough to nullify the Twilight Realm's effects on Link."

"Where are they?"

"On a pedestal at the front of the palace."

The doors to the throne-room suddenly opened as a pudgy little Twili suddenly appeared.

"They're coming!" screamed the little Twili.

"Who is?" Midna asked.

"The Clockwork Policemen," the Twili answered. "They've breached the barrier and are heading this way."

"Who's leading them?"

"Priestess Cia. She's accusing you of holding traitors."

"Then she knows we're here," Zelda said. "Is there another way out besides the front?"

"Yes, there's a secret passage that will take you out of the palace. From there, you'll have to find a way out of the Twili District on your own."

"Okay, but you'll have to untie me first."

"Done!" Midna snapped her finger and the Twili behind Zelda cut the ropes that bound her hands with his claw-like hands.

"And unchain Link, too."

"Fine."

After being released from the chains, Link leaped down the stairs and followed Zelda in the direction Midna pointed. The secret passage was located at the foot of the stairs below the throne through a hidden door disguised as a carved snake on a wall. Through there, Link led the way running on all fours while Zelda tagged behind.

To be continued…


	14. Chapter 14: Zora District

Chapter 14: Zora District

At the other end of the secret passage, Zelda and Link found themselves on a stone bridge that led from the rear end of the palace to another building suspended by a floating rock. From there, it was a maze of similar buildings and bridges which eventually led them to an abandoned Skyloft Rail. Below it lay a pile of discarded Talon Clasps. Recognizing them, Link bounded ahead of Zelda and sniffed the Talon Claps. As he did, five familiar faces suddenly appeared.

"Hey!" Grody shouted. "Get away from those, you stupid mutt!"

Grody made the motion to kick Link, but his foot went right through Link. Nevertheless, Link looked up and started wagging his tail.

"It's hopeless, Grody," Karoline said. "No matter how many times we've tried, we still can't touch anything physical."

"That's because you're spirits right now," Zelda answered, causing all the Rail Riders to look at her quizzically.

"Who's that?" Crow asked.

"Did she just call us 'spirits'?" Fletch said with a perplexed look.

"Well, not the dead ones, anyway, but you've lost your physical form," Zelda said. "That's what usually happens to people who enter the Twili District."

"Oh, yeah, how do we know _you're_ not a spirit too?" Stitch said sarcastically. He tried to touch Zelda's breast, but his hand went right through.

"If you really had touched me, I would've called you a pervert," Zelda said folding her arms.

"Wait a minute," Karoline realized. "If we really are spirits then how come you're still physically present?"

"I've been trying to figure that out all day, and I can't think of an explanation," Zelda answered. "But the strangest thing is that Link—

"Link? You know him?" Karoline said sounding surprised.

"Yeah, he's the wolf," Zelda said and pointed at Link.

"No way," Karoline said and looked at Link. "Is that really you, Link?"

Link barked in response.

"Thank goodness you're all right," Karoline responded as she pretended to pet Link. "I was so worried when you didn't show up at the Knight Academy. What happened to you?"

"I don't know," Zelda said. "It happened just as soon as we entered the Twili District."

"And who are you supposed to be?" Grody asked.

In response, Zelda folded her arms and said, "If you must know, it's Zelda."

Upon hearing that, Grody's cheeks flushed red and then he looked away.

"Pay no attention to him," Karoline said smirking. "Grody may act tough, but he's a total softie underneath. I'm his older sister, Karoline."

Zelda pretended to shake Karoline's outstretched hand, and the other boys followed while introducing themselves as well. Grody was the last one to do this, and he still blushed as he shook Zelda's hand despite the lack of physical touch.

"So how do you know Link?" Zelda asked.

"I ran into him near the Bazaar yesterday and then brought him to our secret hideout at the Knight Academy to persuade him to join us," Karoline explained. "We're the Rail Riders, you see, and so we had him demonstrate what he could do with the Talon Clasp and then we were chased by Clockwork Policemen. We had planned to rendezvous back at the Knight Academy, but along the way Link went missing. Then some time last night, the Clockwork Policemen raided the Knight Academy looking for some 'secret passage' and they thought we were members of the Twilight Wolves. So we escaped to this place and we were told to wait here by a Twili woman who called herself Midna."

"Hold on," Zelda interrupted. "Rail Riders? Talon Clasps? What are those?"

A small gasp escaped Karoline's mouth. "You've never heard of us?"

Zelda shook her head.

"Boy, I've got a lot to explain to you," Karoline said and tried to pick up a Talon Clasp but nothing happened. "Ah, could you pick this up for me?"

"Sure," Zelda said and picked up the Talon Clasp. "How does it work?"

"First, you strap it to your forearm," Karoline instructed. Then after Zelda did as she said, Karoline continued, "Then, you unfold the talons with the switch, aim, press the button, close the talons, adjust the line with the nob, and hold on. Got all that?"

"I think so."

Once Zelda had secured the talons onto the Skyloft Rail above, they started to move. Zelda then adjusted the length of the line till she was hanging above the ground moving toward a dip in the rail that went sideways. She tried to make it stop but was too scared to release the talons.

"I don't think I'll be able to carry you, Link," Zelda cried. "I'll come back with the Fused Shadow pieces. Just keep an eye on Midna and make sure she doesn't get hurt."

Link barked again and leaped up toward Zelda, but was too late to prevent her from heading down the dip in the rail off to the right. Zelda briefly closed her eyes, and then opened them once she saw that the rail was passing over a small ocean that was floating in the sky with rocky shores and a vast beach that stretched for miles beneath her. Compared to the Twili District, this place was brightly lit with a mid-morning sun rising over the ocean.

"This must be the Zora District," Zelda realized. "I've heard their beaches are amazing and sunny all year round."

But to Zelda's surprise, gray clouds were rolling in from the sea with flashes of lightning in them. Worried, Zelda extended her line as the rail dipped lower toward the beach. Once she touched the beach sand with her feet, Zelda stopped and recalled the talons. Fortunately, no one on the beach was around to see her land. Seeing the storm clouds drawing closer, Zelda ran along the beach until she found a cable-car that was preparing to leave.

"Wait, hold on!" Zelda cried, trying to get the driver's attention. "Don't leave without me!"

The doors started to close as Zelda ran up the stairs and onto the platform. Then a young man in his mid-thirties suddenly held the doors open allowing Zelda to get in. While the driver gave the young man a stern glare, Zelda was catching her breath as the cable-car started to move upwards.

"You're really lucky you made it, Miss," the young man said. He had short brown hair that was stylized with deep blue eyes. His ears were slightly pointy and he wore a red vest over a white dress-shirt, tan slacks, and shiny brown shoes. "Otherwise, you would've been caught in the middle of that storm."

"Yeah, thanks," Zelda responded.

"Is that a Talon Clasp you have on your arm?" the young man asked.

"What about it?"

"You know that those are illegal for uses other than construction work, right?"

"Oh, I knew that," Zelda said as she put her blouse-sleeve over it. "I just…found it on the beach, and decided to keep it."

"Quite the interesting find," replied the young man who held his hand out to shake after an awkward pause. "Well, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Professor Phosile, and I study archaeology."

"Professor Phosile?" Zelda's eyes widened. " _The_ Professor Phosile? You're the one who discovered the Cave Mural, right?"

"Ah, I take it your familiar with my work," Professor Phosile replied heartily. "Though to be honest, I have yet to get the proper respect for it."

"What happened? It seemed as if you vanished off the face of Skyloft or something."

"In a way, though it's a little more complicated than that. Now what's your name, young lady?"

"Zelda, and I'm an inventor."

"An inventor?"

"Yes, though I haven't patented anything yet. I've just been tinkering with things in my spare-time and trying them out."

"Then you must be very smart, which is a rare quality you find in girls these days."

"Is that not preferred?"

"I wouldn't say that, but—

"Girls are expected to be obedient and well-mannered, dear," said a young woman who was seated behind the man. She had brunette hair tied into a bun, hazel-green eyes, and wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a red scarf tied around her neck and a matching red skirt to compliment her brown laced shoes. "Not necessarily smart or interested in adventure, though I would consider myself an exception."

"Right," Professor Phosile said and waved his hand from Zelda to the woman. "This is my wife Tera. She helps me with my work."

"Hello," the young woman said shaking Zelda's hand. "I heard your name is Zelda."

"Correct," Zelda replied.

"You have the same name as the former mayor's daughter," Tera said and sighed. "I'd hate to be in her shoes right now. Rumor has it that the False Hero managed to sneak into the Goddess Statue and steal her away."

"Quiet, Tera," Professor Phosile said harshly. "You can gossip at home, but not here."

"Oh, come on, it's not often that I have another girl to talk to," Tera complained. Then as Zelda sat next her she whispered, " _He's just nervous, dear. After he discovered the Cave Mural, Mayor Ganon sealed it off from public viewing and forced my husband to no longer publish any works on archaeology at the risk of incarceration._ "

"That's awful," Zelda replied. "What has he been doing since?"

Tera smiled mischievously and whispered, " _Conducting secret research. He's currently looking for pieces of the Fused Shadow, which is said to be a powerful relic from the Twili people that was used by their current ruler Midna to take back the throne from Zant who had usurped her father and banished her. Fortunately, she had allies and together they formed the Twilight Wolves to overthrow Zant and eliminate him for good. Then when that was done, she ordered the Twilight Wolves to scatter the Fused Shadow fragments to different districts in Skyloft and bury them for good._ "

"Then why does your husband want to dig them up?"

" _Because he wants to study their corrosive effects on living things that aren't from the Twilight Realm and utilize that power to benefit Skyloft._ "

"How? That doesn't seem very promising."

" _That's what I told him, but once he sets his mind to something it's hard to convince him otherwise. So that's why I'm here, accompanying him to the Owlan Temple in the Kokiri District which is said to contain a fragment of the Fused Shadow inside it._ "

"Can I come along? I'm a big fan of Professor Phosile's work and I think I could help him."

"What kind of skills do you have?" Professor Phosile asked, turning to face Zelda.

"I'm very…agile, I can learn quickly, my knowledge of Skyloft's history is solid, and I can defend myself if need be," Zelda answered firmly.

"Let's see how you fare at Owlan Temple," Professor Phosile said doubtfully. "Then I'll decide whether to take you with us on future expeditions or not."

To be continued…


	15. Chapter 15: Deku Tree

Chapter 15: Deku Tree

Once the cable-car stopped, Zelda followed Professor Phosile and Tera out into a small cluster of wooden huts where the Kokiri people lived. Like the books Zelda read, they resembled small children with green-colored clothes and short hair. However, despite their childlike appearances they behaved themselves around the adults as they toured the huts and visited the shops around the area.

"This place is like a tourist trap," Professor Phosile grumbled. "I remember in the early days when it was just a quiet little forest village."

"But all the districts are like this, dear," Tera responded.

"I know, but just because they were artificially created doesn't mean the people in them have to give into selling themselves out to tourists for money."

"Well, how else are they supposed to make money? If Ganon hadn't cut off ties with Hyrule, there would be a lot more people."

"Yeah, and it was a lot worse when that was the case."

Tera scuffed and said to Zelda. "He may look young but he's terribly old-fashioned, preferring that nature be left alone when it goes against human progress."

"I suppose, but—

"What do you mean we can't go to Owlan Temple?" Cried a Hylian man in a striped suit. "I paid you good money to be taken to it!"

"I'm sorry, but no one is allowed near the temple according to the Deku Tree," said a red-haired male Kokiri wearing a pointy green hat.

"Such a disappointment," said the woman next to the Hylian man who wore a pink dress and white gloves. "First the Deku Swamp Tour, and now this! We seem to be having bad luck with these tours, Rich."

"It seems so, Prospera," the man said. "Let's get out of here."

As the crowd dispersed, Professor Phosile approached the Kokiri and asked, "Could you tell us why Owlan Temple is off-limits?"

"I'm not allowed to say," the Kokiri responded. "Ask the Deku Tree if you want to know."

"And where is this Deku Tree?"

"I'll take you to him," said another Kokiri, who was female with medium green hair and purple eyes. "My name is Sylvan."

"Nice to meet you, Sylvan," Professor Phosile said. "Now would you kindly lead the way?"

"Of course," Sylvan said and trotted through the opening of a wooden log with Phosile, Tera, and Zelda following.

On the other side lay a small maze which the four traversed with help from Zelda who used her Wind Parasol to keep the Deku Babas and Mad Scrubs from attacking by blowing them away with artificially generated gales. Though the Master Sword and Hylian Shield would've made better weapons, Zelda didn't regret not bringing them because they would've drawn too much attention to her. At the end of the maze lay a clearing and there stood a proud-looking tree with a face on it. A deep humming noise came from the tree as a section of the trunk below the face started to move like a mouth.

" ** _Hello, Sylvan,_** " the tree said. " ** _I see you've brought visitors._** "

"Yes, Deku Tree," Sylvan answered. "They are Hylians who wish to speak to you about the Owlan Temple."

" ** _The Owlan Temple?_** " The Deku Tree's eyebrows furrowed. " ** _What is it you wish to know?_** "

"Why can't we go there?" Professor Phosile said stepping forward. "I'm an archaeologist, you see, and would like to explore it for some artifacts."

" ** _The only artifact you'll find inside the Owlan Temple is a relic of terrible power that comes from a dark place where the light cannot touch._** "

"You mean the Fused Shadow fragment?" Zelda asked.

" ** _Yes, child, it is the very thing that has corroded the temple and made it unsafe._** "

"How can you be sure of that?" Professor Phosile asked skeptically.

" ** _I can sense its evil magic in the air, and I do not wish to endanger innocent lives. Though it may be just a fragment, the Fused Shadow corrupts any living thing and transforms it into a dangerous monster._** "

" _So then all we have to do is remove the Fused Shadow fragment from whatever it's corrupted and the temple will be safe again, right?_ "

Everyone except the Deku Tree turned and saw a young blond-haired boy standing at the edge of the clearing with a Fairy flying around him.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed and ran over to him. "How did you leave the Twili District?"

" _It wasn't easy,_ " Link explained gesturing to the Master Sword and Hylian Shield that were strapped to his back. " _But I managed to carry the Master Sword in my teeth in wolf form to the pedestals Midna was talking about and charge it with enough light from the two Sols to return me to normal._ "

"What about Midna? Is she all right?"

" _She's fine. I managed to stop Cia from attacking her on the way to the pedestals, and when I came back Midna had Cia pinned down._ "

"Did you have to fight any Clockwork Policemen?"

" _A few, but they were no match for me even in wolf form._ "

"That's good, though I still wonder why you changed into a wolf while the Rail Riders became spirits and I wasn't affected by the Twilight Realm at all."

"Am I missing something?" Professor Phosile said approaching Zelda and Link. "Since when did you go to the Twilight Realm, Zelda, and who's this young chap?"

"Oh, this is Link," Zelda said gesturing. "Link, this is Professor Phosile. He's the archaeologist who discovered the Cave Mural."

Remembering the mural Impa and Lana mentioned, Link nodded and shook Professor Phosile's hand. " _It's an honor to meet you, sir._ "

"The pleasure's all mine," Professor Phosile responded. "Now what's this about going to the Twilight Realm?"

"We'll explain to you on the way to Owlan Temple," Zelda said and turned to face the Deku Tree. "If we're allowed to go, that is."

" ** _If you think you can rid the temple of the Fused Shadow fragment within it, then go right ahead,_** " the Deku Tree responded.

Professor Phosile blinked and then said, "Well, in that case, thank you very much."

After the professor made a slight bow, he and the others went back through the maze except for Sylvan who was still baffled.

"Why are you letting them go to the temple, Deku Tree?" Sylvan asked.

" ** _Because that Hylian youth carries Evil's Bane with him, indicating that he is the chosen Hero of the Goddesses._** "

"Oh, I see," Sylvan replied thoughtfully before heading into the maze to catch up with the others.

To be continued…


	16. Chapter 16: Ancient Grove

Chapter 16: Ancient Grove

"Say, Sylvan," Zelda said getting Sylvan's attention. "Do you know where Owlan Temple is, by any chance?"

"Sure I do," Sylvan answered gleefully. "I snuck there all the time with my twin sister Sylvia before…"

Zelda noticed Sylvan's face change from a happy smile to a subtle frown.

"What's wrong, dear?" Tera asked.

"It's nothing," Sylvan said shaking her head. "Anyway, I could take you there if you could…"

"Do what?" Professor Phosile said impatiently.

"Find my sister," Sylvan mumbled.

Everyone looked at Sylvan with surprise, including Link.

" _How long has she been gone?_ " Link asked.

"I don't know," Sylvan replied. "We Kokiri never keep track of time since we never age, but it's been awhile."

"Where did you last see her?" Zelda persisted.

"In the Owlan Temple," Sylvan said as she started crying. "We were playing a game of hide-and-seek, but when I tried looking for her…she was gone."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Zelda said hugging Sylvan.

"Don't worry, young one," Professor Phosile said confidently. "We'll find your sister in our search for the Fused Shadow fragment."

"Really?" Sylvan said wiping her eyes.

"Of course, dear," Tera said. "My husband's very good at finding things, so looking for your sister shouldn't be too much trouble for him."

"You promise?" Sylvan looked pleadingly at Professor Phosile and Tera.

"Promise," Professor Phosile responded, holding out his pinkie.

Sylvan took out her own pinkie and shook it. Then she sniffled and said, "All right, then follow me to Owlan Temple!"

She bounded through a thicket of tall grass next to the trunk they had just come out of, with Zelda and the others following. At the end of the thicket was a tunnel-like trunk was similar to the one that led to the Deku Tree, and from there it was a maze of clearings surrounded by thick foliage with fallen down trunks that served as tunnels. After clearing the maze, the company came to a pit with tall trees whose branches obscured the pit's bottom.

"This is the Ancient Grove," Sylvan explained. "The Owlan Temple resides in one of the trees down there."

"How can we tell which one it is?" Professor Phosile wondered.

"There's a Triforce symbol carved into it," answered Sylvan. "My sister and I did that when we last came here."

"Well, that was very thoughtful of you but how do we get down to the Ancient Grove?" Tera said examining the area. "There doesn't seem to be a slope or a ladder."

"There isn't," Sylvan shook her head. "You have to climb down yourself. The sides of the pit are very steep, so I would use the tree branches if I were you."

" _No problem_ ," Link said holding up a Talon Clasp that was strapped to his wrist. " _Zelda and I will use our Talon Clasps to get down and carry the Professor and his wife with us._ "

"There might be a problem with that plan, Link," Zelda said. "They're much older than us and probably heavier in weight so we'd have a high chance of accidentally dropping them. Instead, I propose we use our Talon Clasps as swinging ropes with us taking turns using them."

"I'm not sure I follow," Professor Phosile said scratching his head.

"Watch me, then," Zelda responded and pointed the talons at a nearby branch. She released the line and when the talons firmly clasped upon the branch, Zelda swung down and landed on a lower branch below the canopy. Next, Zelda unstrapped the Talon Clasp and tossed it back up. "Catch, Link!"

Though he could not see Zelda, Link managed to catch her Talon Clasp.

"Now, give it to either the Professor or Tera and have them swing down!" Zelda shouted from below the branches.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Tera asked nervously.

"Only one way to find out," Professor Phosile said and strapped the Talon Clasp to his arm.

Without hesitation, Professor Phosile leapt down through the canopy and swung to the same branch Zelda was on. However, he accidentally missed it and landed unevenly on the branch. He nearly slipped off, but Zelda caught him while holding onto the trunk of the tree.

"Everything all right, dear?" called Tera from above. "I heard you scream."

"No need to worry," Professor Phosile said as he unstrapped the Talon Clasp. "I just poorly landed on this branch I'm standing on with Zelda."

Then Professor Phosile tossed the Talon Clasp up which was caught by Link once more. Tera followed the same procedure as him though she screamed while swinging downward. Below the canopy, Professor Phosile caught his wife by the hand while Zelda had moved to the other side of the trunk to make room for them. Once Tera had unstrapped the Clasp, she was about to toss it up to Link when a _thud_ was heard above them and Link came swinging down right afterward.

"Oh, never mind, then," Tera said as Link released the talons from the branch above him that was right next to the ones attached to Zelda's Clasp. "I'm throwing the Clasp up to you, Sylvan, so be sure to catch!"

"Don't bother," Sylvan replied. "I have my own way of getting down."

"If you say so," Tera said and tried to unclasp the talons but with little success.

"Let me do that," Zelda said stepping next to her.

###

After an uneasy climb down the trunk of the tree, the four found themselves in a grassy hollow with flowers and shrubs. It was there that they found Sylvan, who had dirt on her hands and feet. Not bothering to question her, the four followed Sylvan through the hollow which became thicker as they went along and there was an increase in Deku Babas and Mad Shrubs along the way. Eventually, they came to a very large tree that was taller than the others with a small Triforce symbol carved into it.

"This is it, the Owlan Temple," Sylvan said pointing. "That's the symbol I was talking about."

"Amazing," Professor Phosile mused. "This is almost as big as the Deku Tree, though it doesn't seem to have a face."

"Is there some way of getting in?" Tera asked. "I don't see an obvious entrance."

"It's here," Sylvan said and patted the place where the Triforce symbol was carved into. "Just knock here three times."

Though he was somewhat confused, Link tried it. There was a slight _rumble_ and the section of the trunk with the Triforce symbol moved sideways revealing a dark hole. Zelda then reached into her satchel and pulled out a small lantern. Next, she took out a small box filled with small sticks inside. Link watched in fascination as Zelda brushed one of the sticks up against the side of the box, causing a small fire to bloom which she used to light the lantern.

" _What are those?_ " Link asked, though he immediately regretted asking.

"Matches," Zelda answered. "You've never heard of – oh, right."

"How could you have never heard of matches, boy?" Professor Phosile said looking at Link doubtfully. "Have you been living under a rock or something?"

" _You could say that_ ," Link said nervously.

"Then let's not waste any more time and go inside," Tera said stepping into the hole. When everyone else stepped in, Tera noticed Sylvan was the only one who hadn't moved. "Are you not coming with us, dear?"

"I'd rather stay out here," Sylvan said. "But here's a map of the temple I drew from memory when I was here last."

Sylvan took a rolled up parchment of paper from behind her pointed ear and gave it to Link. He unfolded it and looked pleased. So everyone waved to Sylvan before traversing into the dark hole with Zelda's lantern providing the only source of light.

To be continued…


	17. Chapter 17: Owlan Temple

Chapter 17: Owlan Temple

Skittering noises caught the four off-guard until they came to a spider-web with a large spider-like creature on it that had a skull-shaped design on its back.

"A Golden Skulltula!" Professor Phosile exclaimed.

" _What's so special about it?_ " Link asked as he drew the Master Sword out.

"I have a friend who's very interested in collecting rare bugs. His name is Professor Scarab, and if we could get this to him in one piece—

Link immediately sliced through the Skulltula just as it was attacking him and caused it to fall on its back along with the web.

"We could get a huge reward for it," Professor Phosile finished.

"Who cares about rewards when the Fused Shadow fragment will bring us plenty of grant money from the Hylian University," Tera said stepping cautiously around the fallen Skulltula.

"Well, I was just thinking we could take advantage of it," Professor Phosile said noticing the Skulltula's legs twitching slightly. "Assuming we get out of here alive."

"I could see how someone could get easily lost in this place," Zelda remarked.

At the end of the passage, the company came a fork where another passage went around a bend to the left while to the right was a staircase carved from wood. A large plant with red flame-like petals grew from the wooden panel between these two paths, though it appeared to be wilted. Below the plant was a message carved in Hylian.

"' _To light the torches, you must fan the flames,_ '" Link read.

"What does that mean?" Tera asked.

"It's clearly some kind of riddle," Zelda said. "Only those who knew what the writer was talking about would get it."

"But we didn't write it so how are we supposed to know what to do?" Professor Phosile said anxiously.

" _Maybe we should explore,_ " Link suggested.

"Good idea, only I don't think we should split up," Zelda responded.

"But we could cover more ground that way," Professor Phosile noted.

"I only have one lantern to spare and it wouldn't be wise considering how little we know about Owlan Temple," Zelda said firmly. "Let's just stick together for now."

"Then which way should we go?" Professor Phosile asked.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Proxi said, flying out of Link's shirt-pocket.

"Goodness gracious!" Professor Phosile gasped.

"A real living Fairy," Tera said reaching out to touch Proxi. "I've always wanted to see one up close. They're more beautiful than I imagined."

"I appreciate the compliment, but no touching, please," Proxi responded sarcastically.

"Of course!" Zelda exclaimed. "Fairies generate a light of their own."

" _So we could split up,_ " Link realized.

"I'll go with Link while you and Tera can borrow my lantern," Zelda said as she handed the lantern to Professor Phosile. "We'll meet back here once we've found something of interest."

"Sounds like a plan," Professor Phosile said as he linked his arm in Tera's. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way, dear," Tera said and followed Professor Phosile around the bend to the left.

" _Then I guess we're going upstairs,_ " Link said and ascended the stairs with Zelda.

The staircase curved around the inside of a trunk with several Skulltulas and Deku Babas littering it. Fortunately, Zelda was able to blow them away with her Wind Parasol while Link cut them down. At the top of the staircase was a wooden door with a curved spiral on it. Link used his strength to move it aside, revealing a small chamber with bats on the ceiling and Skulltulas crawling on the walls.

"Wherever these monsters came from, they're obviously protecting something," Zelda said using her Talon Clasp to hit the bats as they flew toward them.

" _No kidding,_ " Link replied using the Master Sword to slice more Skulltulas in half.

Once the room was clear, a chest suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. Curious, Link and Zelda walked over to it. After a brief pause, Zelda knelt down and opened the chest. A faint light poured from it, until Zelda held up the item that was inside the chest.

" _It looks like some kind of fan,_ " Link said, while Zelda was busy examining the item which consisted of thin tree leaves held together by thin wooden sticks.

"Yes, I believe it's the Kokiri Fan," Zelda replied. "I read about it while I was 'studying' in the Goddess Statue. The leaves this fan come directly from the Deku Tree himself, and are supposedly embedded with magical winds."

Link stepped aside as Zelda waved the Kokiri Fan. A gust of warm wind blew straight from the fan and up to the chamber's ceiling. A lone Skulltula caught fire and came crashing down at Zelda's feet.

It was then that Zelda suddenly gasped. "Now the riddle makes sense."

Before Link could question her, Zelda ran out of the chamber and back down the stairs. She found Professor Phosile and Tera waiting by the wilted plant looking surprised to see her.

"I take it you found something," Professor Phosile guessed.

"The answer to the riddle," Zelda said holding the Kokiri Fan up.

Zelda then used the fan to blow the same warm wind that set the Skulltula on fire onto the wilted plant. The petals suddenly ignited but instead of burning up they maintained a steady flame that illuminated the fork and the ceiling overhead which were made from wood.

"Fascinating," Professor Phosile mused. "A plant that contains fire like a torch, and a fan that can produce wind at will."

"But not just any wind," Zelda corrected. "According to what I read, the Kokiri Fan produces different kinds of winds depending on the temperature of the area. For instance, if the area is cold then the fan will blow warm wind, then if it's warm the wind will be cold."

"Makes sense," Professor Phosile nodded.

" _Doesn_ _'_ _t your Wind Parasol work the same way?_ " Link asked.

"Not exactly," Zelda responded. "I can use the Wind Parasol to glide on air currents as well as to store air within it for wind-based attacks. But the Kokiri Fan produces air on its own without needing to absorb the surrounding air. Does that make sense?"

" _Sort of_ ," Link said scratching his head.

"Well, we found something interesting too," Tera said and held up a small silver key. "There was a chamber adjacent to the passageway with a chest that had this key inside. Did you find any doors with locks upstairs?"

Zelda and Link shook their heads.

"In that case, let's continue down the passage my husband and I went down," Tera said taking Phosile's arm. "Maybe we'll find a locked door in need of a key."

To be continued…


	18. Chapter 18: Twilit Nymph Woodra

Chapter 18: Twilit Nymph Woodra

Once the golden key was placed into the lock of the same color, the gold-colored chains around the door fell and the wooden door slid open. Link and Zelda stepped in first, but as soon as they did did the door shut itself. Professor Phosile tried to open it from the other side, but the door stayed shut.

"It's no use," Professor Phosile said. "The door won't budge."

" _Can't you use the Infinity Gauntlet to make another entrance?_ " Link asked Zelda.

Zelda shook her head. "It doesn't work like that. Once I make a Puncture, it'll open to somewhere else and I can't control what that other place will be. Plus, the Punctures don't last very long so the gauntlet's pretty much useless in this scenario."

"What are you talking about?" Professor Phosile wondered.

Just as Zelda was about to answer, a loud rumbling noise was heard. A large plant seemed to sprout from the middle of the cold dark room Link and Zelda were in. It took on the form of a serpentine vine with several smaller vines interwoven, the upper-half of a woman who had wooden skin and a menacing face with several vines sprouting from her head that seemed to wiggle like serpents.

" _Get out of the temple, Professor,_ " Link said raising the Master Sword in the air which glowed with bright light. " _We've got a monster to take care of._ "

Seeing the light, the serpentine monster shrieked and attacked Link by rushing toward him. He managed to avoid her arms, but found himself running around the circumference of the chamber as the monster chased him. While he did this, Zelda used the Kokiri Fan to produce hot air that set the monster on fire causing her to stop moving. Link then used this opportunity to slice through the vines that made up the monster's lower-half. The monster screamed as she toppled down with nothing to support her lower-half but then to Link's surprise, the vines grew back and wove themselves into a serpent-like tail.

With this, the monster chased Link around the room using her hands to crawl forward. Once again, Zelda used the Kokiri Fan to set the monster on fire causing her to be temporarily stunned. Link then used his Boomerang to cut off the monster's hands causing her to fall forward. As she fell onto to her stomach in a burning heap, Link noticed a small piece of metal that seemed to be merged to the monster's lower-back. Quickly, Link ran around the monster and leaped onto her back with ease. He plunged the Master Sword into the metal, causing the monster to scream and turn over as her hands regenerated.

So Link and Zelda followed this strategy a couple more times before the monster rotted from the inside and toppled over in a pile of dead wood and vines. A circle of light appeared in the center of the dark room, illuminating two things that lay in the monster's remains. One was a little girl who looked exactly like Sylvan only her dress was a darker shade of green. The other was a metallic object that resembled a neck-brace with patterns carved into it that glowed.

As Zelda walked over to the girl and the object, the closed door opened revealing Professor Phosile and Tera.

" _I thought I told you to leave,_ " Link said irritably.

"We would never leave you, son," Professor Phosile responded.

"What happened in here?" Tera asked, looking at the remains of the monster.

" _This monster suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and then after Zelda and I defeated it these things were left behind,_ " Link explained.

"This has to be the Fused Shadow fragment," Zelda said picking the metal object up. Then she noticed the girl. "And the girl must be Sylvia, Sylvan's sister."

"Don't touch the fragment!" Professor Phosile exclaimed. "You know what it does to living things, right?"

"Yes, but since the Twilight Realm had no effect on me when I was in the Twili District I figure that the Fused Shadow fragments won't affect me either," Zelda said nonchalantly as she approached the circle of light. "Now let's go."

" _That seems risky,_ " Link said as he picked up the unconscious Sylvia. " _I mean you not being affected by the Twilight Realm could've been just a fluke_."

"Link's right," Professor Phosile said. "There are many things about the Twilight Realm that we don't understand, including the Fused Shadow, so we shouldn't take risks and assume you'll be fine just because you happen to not succumb to the Twilight Realm's influence."

"How do you feel, dear?" Tera said to Zelda.

"Fine," Zelda said and stepped into the circle of light.

She immediately vanished, causing everyone to follow. The circle of light grew brighter for a brief moment, then they found themselves outside the Owlan Temple. Sylvan was sleeping against a tree nearby and the Ancient Grove seemed a little brighter than before.

" _Should we wake her?_ " asked Link who was still carrying Sylvia.

"No, let's let her sleep," Zelda said. "But go ahead and place Sylvia next to her."

"So we're leaving?" Professor Phosile asked seeing Zelda aiming her Talon Clasp onto an upper branch. "We can't leave without Sylvan. She's our guide."

"True, but I observed the directions she took so I have a pretty good sense of how to get back to the village," Zelda said once the line was secure. "Besides, there's no danger here anymore and she's capable of getting herself out."

"If you say so," Professor Phosile said reluctantly as Zelda reeled in the line causing her to be lifted onto the branch below the one where the talons grabbed onto.

###

Back at the village, the last cable-car was filling up as the sun had gone down.

" _I'll be back,_ " Link said heading off into the forest. " _There's someone I have to talk to._ "

Zelda and the Professor shrugged while Tera seemed baffled.

In the grove where the bugs were rampant, Link found a piece of paper in the grass. After unfolding it, Link read a message that was written in black link with a butterfly seal at the top:

 _Dear Grasshopper,_

 _By the time you read this, I will have left the Kokiri District. Look for my castle in the Hylian District if you have found any of the Golden Bugs and bring them to me there. Hope your search is going well and I'll see you soon!_

 _Yours truly,_

 _Princess Agnes_

Link folded the paper into his shirt-pocket and left to rejoin with Zelda and the others.

"Did you find the person?" Zelda asked as the cable-car doors closed.

In response, Link shook his head.

"That's too bad," Professor Phosile remarked. Then he turned to Zelda. "So, seeing that you were able to help me reach the Owlan Temple and retrieve the Fused Shadow fragment without damaging it, I believe you are worthy to become my assistant for this trip."

"Really?" Zelda exclaimed excitedly. "I'm so honored! Can Link come too?"

"Of course," Tera said. "He can be our bodyguard, though we'll have to wait on paying you till after we've found all the fragments."

" _Oh, I don't need money,_ " Link said.

"Nonsense, we insist!" Professor Phosile replied. "It's only fair since you risked your life for us, and it would be good to have someone on hand in case the Fused Shadow fragment does corrupt Zelda at some point."

"I can assure you that won't happen, Professor," Zelda said instinctively patting her satchel which contained the Fused Shadow fragment.

"How do you know?" Professor Phosile said nervously.

"It's just a strong feeling I have, is all," Zelda replied. "But not because I'm confident. I know I won't be corrupted by the Fused Shadow fragment, but I can't explain why."

While Link gave Zelda a baffled stare, Professor Phosile rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"So where are we going next?" Zelda said, changing the subject.

"To the Gorko Temple in the Goron District," Professor Phosile responded. "Hopefully, we'll have better luck there and not have any trouble retrieving the Fused Shadow fragment there."

To be continued…


	19. Chapter 19: Hylian District

Chapter 19: Hylian District

The cable-car that took Zelda, Link, Professor Phosile, and Tera out of the Kokiri District arrived in the Hylian District by the time the sun went down. There, the Professor and his wife invited Zelda and Link to stay with them for the evening which they graciously accepted. On the way, Link saw a sign-post with a purple butterfly symbol that was the same as the one on the letter Agnes left. Immediately, Link went up to the door below the sign-post and knocked.

"What are you doing?" Professor Phosile asked.

" _Delivering something I promised to a friend,_ " Link answered. " _I won_ _'_ _t be long._ "

"If you insist, Link," Tera said. "My husband and I will go ahead and start preparing dinner. I'll leave instructions to our house with Zelda."

"All right," Zelda nodded. "Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"We've got it covered, dear, but thanks for asking," Tera responded.

While Professor Phosile took out a piece of paper and wrote instructions on it in pen, the door below the sign-post opened and Link stepped in. Inside, Link found himself in a room with shelves filled with Potions and a small tree in the center that had bugs flying in and around it. There was also a small staircase that led to an upper-floor that was partially hidden, but what drew Link's attention more was seeing Agnes standing by the door wearing the same clothes she wore at the grove.

"Grasshopper!" Agnes exclaimed joyfully. "I was just about to close up. Have you found my Golden Bugs?"

" _A few of them,_ " Link said and took out a handful of eight insects had collected at the various places he had been to including the Goddess Statue, the Woods of Wonder, the Kokiri Village, and the Ancient Grove.

With each insect Link presented her, Agnes recited different verses about each one. "Li'l snail, li'l snail, just once I'd like to take a bath in that slime...Li'l stag beetle, li'l stag beetle, your spiky pinchers are so sharp! They must feel so good...Li'l grasshopper, li'l grasshopper, I'd love to tickle your belly all day long...Li'l mantis, li'l mantis, if I had sickles like that, I could slice onions better…"

" _What are those verses from?_ " Link asked as Agnes took the insects to the tree.

"My mother taught me them, which she learned from her mother before that, and so on," Agnes said, smiling as the insects ran around the tree shimmering in the fading light. "I like to think of them as prayers. You wish upon the insect, and the insect is blessed in turn."

" _I see,_ " Link turned to the door and said. " _Well, I should get going. I_ _'_ _ll be back with the rest of the Golden Bugs soon._ "

"Take care, Grasshopper!" Agnes said, and gave Link a new leather wallet filled with Rupees. "This is part of the reward I promised you. You'll get more once you have the rest of the bugs."

" _Okay, thanks,_ " Link said and walked out the door.

Outside, Zelda had her arms folded and was looking concerned.

" _What_ _'_ _s wrong?_ " Link said, noticing.

Zelda looked both ways and then she ushered Link to walk with her. "I want to show you something. These were posted earlier today."

From the fold of her sash, Zelda produced two posters. One depicted Zelda while the other depicted Link. Below each poster was the word 'Wanted' and a huge sum of Rupees listed.

"We can't stay here, Link," Zelda said. "And going to Professor Phosile's place is out of the question now."

Link's eyes widened. " _But shouldn_ _'_ _t we at least explain to them what_ _'_ _s going on? I_ _'_ _m sure they_ _'_ _ll understand._ "

"And risk endangering their lives too?" Zelda snapped, stopping in her tracks.

" _Well, no, but if we take the Fused Shadow fragment with us they_ _'_ _ll think we stole it and report to the authorities. By sticking with them, they could help us not get caught and we_ _'_ _ll be helping them find the Fused Shadow fragments._ "

"Haven't you forgotten why we're here in the first place?" Zelda exclaimed. "Midna send us to collect the Fused Shadow fragments in exchange for helping us escape Skyloft."

" _Do you really think she_ _'_ _ll keep to her word?_ " Link responded cautiously. " _How do we know she_ _'_ _s on our side when she might just be using us to distract Ganon from whatever the Twilight Wolves are planning and then toss us aside when we_ _'_ _re no longer useful to her?_ "

"I understand your concern, Link, and I've thought the same thing myself but I'm willing to take that chance if it'll get us off Skyloft. So for now, let's just concentrate on the task at hand and get out of the Hylian District before a Clockwork Policeman spots us."

Just as they were about to run down an adjacent alley, Link and Zelda noticed the same triangle-shaped symbols that appeared on their hands back in the Twili District appear once more. They glowed very brightly, and with that came a sense of dread.

"It's him," Zelda muttered and took Link's hand. "We have to go!"

Before Link could question her, Zelda dragged Link into the adjacent alley, down the street on the other side, and into the Hylian Park which was the only acre of green land in the entire District. There they took refuge by a hillside and hoped they were't being followed. Unfortunately, someone else was there too.

" _Skull Kid!_ " Link exclaimed, drawing the Master Sword out once he's spotted the scarecrow boy leaning against a tree near the top of the hill. " _What are you doing here?_ "

"I was just passing through, Link," Skull Kid said casually. Then he noticed Zelda and a creepy smile crept across his face. "Well, if it isn't the Heir to Ganon herself. She's a lot prettier than I imagined."

Zelda gave Skull Kid a disgusted look and frowned. "I'm no Heir to Ganon, and never will be. Now are you a friend or a foe?"

"Neither, dear lady," Skull Kid said bowing. "I am Skull Kid, troublemaker to all except myself and my two friends."

"Hi, Link!" cried Tatl as she appeared from under Skull Kid's hat.

"It's been a while," replied Tael. "We thought you would've left Skyloft by now."

"I thought so too, but we've been duped into helping the Twilight Wolves," Proxi admitted.

"Proxi!" Zelda shouted causing the Fairy to lower slightly.

"How interesting," Skull Kid said rubbing his chin. "Did Midna convince you or did you join of your own free will?"

"She said she'd get us out of here if we helped her," Zelda answered briefly.

"With what, exactly? She has plenty of allies outside the Twili District who are willing to help unless…it has something to do with the Fused Shadow fragments?"

Neither Link or Zelda said anything.

"So I'm right," Skull Kid said smiling mischievously. "Do you have one with you?"

"Why should you care?" Zelda said, tightening the strap on her satchel.

"I'm just curious," Skull Kid answered. "If you'd like, I could collect the Fused Shadow fragments for you so that you could present them to Midna sooner and get out of Skyloft quicker. What do you say?"

"Is there a price?" Zelda asked.

"None," Skull Kid replied.

Zelda thought about it for some time as the street lamps glimmered. Then finally, she said, "We appreciate your offer, Skull Kid, but we'll be fine on our own."

Link looked from Zelda to Skull Kid who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself," Skull Kid said as he walked down the hillside opposite from Link and Zelda. "I was just trying to lighten your burden, though your friends will probably suffer for your actions."

Realizing what he meant, Link and Zelda exited the park. They soon came to the house where Professor Phosile said he lived only to find Clockwork Policemen dragging him and his wife outside by force while a tall man in a black suit and cape stood nearby.

"Did you find anyone else?" asked the tall man in a menacing voice that made Zelda shiver.

" _Is that Ganon?_ " Link asked.

While Zelda nodded, the Clockwork Policeman shook its head.

Next, the tall man parted his cape slightly revealing a sinister face with dark skin and hints of fiery red hair underneath the black top-hat he wore. He approached Professor Phosile and picked him up by the collar of his shirt. "Where are they?"

"I…don't know who you're talking about," Professor Phosile said firmly.

"Don't lie to me, Professor!" Ganon snapped, gripping Phosile's shirt-collar tighter. "A citizen reported seeing you with the False Hero and my Heir on a cable-car back from the Kokiri District. What were you doing there?"

"Just sightseeing," Professor Phosile replied. "Is that a crime?"

"Sightseeing?" Ganon said mockingly. "You don't strike me as a man who typically goes 'sightseeing' unless there's something valuable to be uncovered. I know you are up to something, Professor, and I intend to find out what it is. Take them away!"

Once Ganon let go of Professor Phosile's shirt-collar, the Clockwork Policemen dragged him and his wife to a horse-driven wagon with a barred cage at the back of it.

" _We_ _'_ _ve got to do something,_ " Link muttered reaching for the Master Sword. " _He won_ _'_ _t get away with this!_ "

"Link, don't," Zelda said, staying Link's hand. "If you attack Ganon now, he'll overpower you in an instant. We'll find a way to rescue the Professor and his wife, but first we need to find the Fused Shadow fragments for Midna."

Link gritted his teeth, but then he reluctantly let his hand fall. Following Zelda out of the alley they were hiding in, the two took a series of side-streets while avoiding Clockwork Policemen. Eventually, they came to a dead-end where the Skyloft Rails were partially lit above them. Using their Talon Clasps, they hooked themselves onto the rails and went flying out of the Hylian District in the dead of night.

To be continued…


	20. Chapter 20: Goron District

Chapter 20: Goron District

Prior to dawn, Link and Zelda had reached a cable-car station in the Goron District, which consisted of a floating mountain with a ring of smoke circling around its peak. A trail zigzagged its way up to the top, but it was closed off by a gate. There was a Hylian guard slumped nearby, but he didn't seem to be looking at them.

"I think he's asleep," Zelda said. "Let's go."

Walking past the guard, the two climbed over the gate and made a quick dash up the trail. There were large spider-like Tektites that littered the trail, which Link was able to kill instantly with his sword while Zelda used the Kokiri Fan to blow them away. Then a little ways up, Link and Zelda saw a large boulder rolling down that was heading towards them. Link immediately hit it with the sword, which caused it to stop and unfurl into a creature that had light brown skin, a muscular upper-body, small legs, and beady eyes.

"What did you hit me for?" asked the creature nervously. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

" _Sorry,_ " Link said sheathing the Master Sword. " _I thought you were a boulder._ "

"That's okay," the creature said. "I get that all the time. Hey, aren't you guys Hylians?"

"Yes," Zelda answered.

"What are you doing up here? The Terror Mountain Tours don't start till 8:30," the creature said.

"Oh, we're not tourists," Zelda said assuredly. "We were just wondering if we could investigate the Gorko Temple."

"The Gorko Temple?" The creature's eyes widened. "Didn't you hear the news?"

"What news?" Zelda asked.

"A whole tour group went missing there yesterday, and the entrance has been blocked off by large boulders," the creature explained.

"Can't you just lift the boulders yourself? Gorons can do that, right?"

"Yeah, but something's keeping these boulders in place and we can't move them because of it. The only other thing that can move the boulders is our 'special crop' but our leader won't let us use it for some reason."

"May we speak to him?"

"You can try, but I doubt he'll listen. He doesn't like outsiders, much less Hylians."

As they followed the Goron up the trail, Link turned to Zelda and asked, " _What's the 'special crop' he's talking about?_ "

"Flower Bombs," Zelda said.

"They're a type of explosive fruit that grows abundantly in this district, and they're used to make actual Bombs that you can buy at various smithies throughout the Districts," the Goron added. "But there's been an embargo on Bombs lately because of the Twilight Wolves using them to blow up various structures around Skyloft so that's put a damper on our economy."

"I take it you don't like the Twilight Wolves, Mr. Goron," Zelda guessed.

"I have a name, you know," the Goron said irritably. "It's Flint and no, I'm not fond of the Twilight Wolves. What they say about Mayor Ganon being a tyrannical usurper may be true, but I don't agree with their methods. They're too violent, and their leader Midna seems to have ulterior motives."

Link and Zelda looked at each other and then Zelda said, "So, Flint, why does your leader not like Hylians? Is it the tourism?"

"Partially, but he also blames them for not doing anything when Ganon came to power. He's never trusted Ganon, you see, and even suspects foul play regarding the sudden death of the previous Mayor seventeen years ago."

"What do you mean by 'foul play'?" Zelda looked quizzically at Flint's rocky back.

Flint turned to Zelda and said, "Well, it's not my place to say, but he thinks Mayor Gaetano was poisoned by Ganon."

"But that can't be true," Zelda muttered.

"That's what I said too, but Darak is convinced otherwise," replied Flint.

The Goron known as Flint went into a cave opening about midway up the mountain, with Link and Zelda following behind. Inside, there were a few Gorons milling about that looked like Flint only they were either smaller or slightly more built. As soon as they saw Link and Zelda, they rolled away back into smaller holes that were situated along the circumference to the hollow chamber that lay inside the cave.

"This is where we live," Flint said. "And don't pay attention to the Gorons that fled. They just weren't expecting to see Hylians this early in the morning. Because of complaints from Hylian tourists about our apparent 'nudity', we always wear clothes whenever tours come in though we usually don't."

"I see," Zelda noted.

They traveled down a flight of stairs that spiraled down to the bottom of the hollow chamber where there were several corridors leading elsewhere. There was one door that had strange plants that produced black orbs with fuses sticking out of them, and it was this one that Flint approached. Two guards stood in the doorway, and they were slightly bigger than Flint.

"Hi, guys," Flint said. "May we speak to Darak?"

"For what purpose?" said the Goron on the right, who eyed Zelda and Link suspiciously. "Does it have to do with these Hylians?"

"I believe these are the ones Ganon is looking for," Flint said bluntly.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" responded the Goron on the left who immediately grabbed Link and Zelda and crushed them in his two massive arms.

Unable to move, the two were carried through the stone door which opened automatically revealing a whole orchard full of the same fruits that were outside. Here, they were taken to another Goron who was much taller than the two guards with big muscular arms and a receding line of spiky white-blond hair.

"Darak," said the Goron who held Link and Zelda. "One of our civilians found these criminals from the wanted posters. What shall we do with them?"

"Bring them to the throne-room, Tyrus," said the tall Goron in a gravelly voice. "There, I will decide what to do with them."

"What about the civilian?" The other Goron guard asked. "Shall he be rewarded?"

"In due time, Brutus," Darak answered.

Satisfied, the two Goron guards dragged Link and Zelda out of the orchard and into another room that was adjacent to it. There was a carved figure of a Goron with spiky hair holding aloft a stone that had a halo of light around it while a blond-haired child who looked Hylian was holding his hands up to receive the stone. Then beside two fiery torches stood a large wooden throne where a smaller Goron waited with a palm tree fan. A few minutes later, Darak entered and took his place on the throne.

To be continued…


	21. Chapter 21: Throne-Room

Chapter 21: Throne-Room

"Let them go," Darak said. "And stand outside to make sure no one disturbs us."

The two Goron guards looked baffled, but then Tyrus obeyed and let Link and Zelda drop to the floor. They gasped for breath while the guards stepped outside the throne-room and let the stone door fall. Darak stared at them for several minutes, and then he turned to Zelda.

"You're Gaetano's daughter, aren't you?" Darak said.

"Yes," Zelda said after a deep breath. "Did you know him?"

"Know him?" Darak huffed proudly. "He was my sworn brother! I helped him make Skyloft what it is now and was present at your birth. He was so happy when you were born, but then devastated when his wife died due to complications. I tried to comfort him as best I could, but he wouldn't listen to me and that's when he became suddenly ill followed by his own death."

"It was because of grief, wasn't it?" Zelda asked. "At least, that's what Ganon told me."

"He's been feeding you lies all these years, to keep you from the truth," Darak responded in a bitter tone. "Your father was certainly upset after his wife's death, but he was physically healthy until he started taking a special medicine that he received from Ganon, who was his advisor at the time."

" _What kind of medicine?_ " Link wondered.

"Supposedly it helped Gaetano calm his nerves but the medicine seemed to dull his senses to the point where he could no longer function," answered Darak.

"How do you know these things?" Zelda said after a brief pause.

"Your nurse Impa told me before she and the Sorceress took off with you."

" _The Sorceress?_ " Link thought for a moment and then said, " _You wouldn't happen to be referring to Lana, would you?_ "

Darak gave Link a scrutinizing look. "Have you met the Sorceress, young man?"

" _She's the one who convinced me to come here, along with Impa,_ " Link said. " _They found me in Termina, and then they brought me to Hyrule and sent me up the Sky Elevator to here._ "

"So they did escape," Darak said to himself. Then he leaned back in his chair. "Why have you come here?"

"To obtain the Fused Shadow fragment that's in Gorko Temple," Zelda said bluntly. "I think there may be a connection between it and the missing tour group."

"That's what I've been thinking too, and why I've forbidden use of 'special crop' to clear the boulders blocking the entrance," Darak said. "Because of the Fused Shadow's corrupting powers, I don't want to risk any of my people getting exposed to it."

"I understand, Darak, but if the Fused Shadow fragment has corrupted something in the temple it's probably getting stronger and might break out any day now."

"I've considered that possibility, but I'm confident the boulders will keep whatever's in there inside. They're a defense mechanism that the temple imposes when something evil threatens to come in or out of it."

" _But how long will it last?_ " Link said doubtfully. " _We've already risked our lives for one Fused Shadow fragment, and I'm confident we can take care of this one as well._ "

"Then do you have it with you?" Darak asked.

"In here," Zelda said, patting her satchel. But when Darak looked nervous, she answered, "It's all right. The power in this fragment dulled down after we defeated the monster it was attached to, and for some reason I'm not affected by its power."

Darak didn't answer at first, and then said, "Very well. If you think you can remove the Fused Shadow fragment from inside Gorko Temple and save the people that are trapped inside, then I see no reason to stop you."

Zelda's eyes lit up as she took a slight bow. "Thank you, sir, but what about Flint?"

"I'll handle him, but right now you must go," Darak urged. "Use the hidden door behind the statue, and good luck to you both."

Link and Zelda got up quickly and moved behind the statue of the Goron and the boy. There was a stone wall carved with various images of Gorons ascending into the sky and resting on a floating mountain. Beside the mountain was an image of Darak, who looked much younger, and an older man with thick white eyebrows, a balding head, and wearing red robes adorned with three triangles woven into one.

"I know this symbol," Zelda said, touching one of the triangles on the older man's belt. "It's the Triforce, the Sign of the Goddesses."

Once she pressed the Triforce symbol, a door-shaped outline became visible. Quietly, Zelda and Link opened the hidden door and closed it softly. They found themselves in a dark tunnel lit by torches along the way.

" _Isn't that the same symbol that appeared on our wrists that one time?_ " Link asked as he and Zelda quickly made their way through the tunnel.

"It was, and that's when I saw a vision of Ganon," Zelda said, and shook her head. "I'm not sure why that happened, but there must be an explanation for it."

At the end of the tunnel, a large boulder stood in the way.

" _Looks like a dead-end,_ " Link noted. " _And we can't go back the way we came._ "

"True," Zelda said picking up one of the strange fruits that was growing nearby. The orb started to flash red as the fuse lit and was winding down. "But we can destroy the boulder with this Bomb Flower."

Zelda threw the Bomb Flower and the boulder and then she and Link backed away. They hid behind a niche while the Bomb Flower exploded. Debris rushed past them but once it settled, Link and Zelda crept out from the niche. The boulder was no longer present, revealing an opening into a chamber that was filled with boiling magma and floating rocks.

"Amazing," Zelda said stepping into the chamber. "I knew Terror Mountain was a volcano, but I didn't know it was still active."

" _Could it erupt?_ " Link said watching the magma bubble and brew beneath the rocky ledge he and Zelda stood on.

"No, I don't think so," Zelda said. "The magma would have to be much more active."

After she spoke, a geyser of magma burst from the pool. Zelda and Link ran quickly to avoid being sprayed until they came to a stone bridge that ran across the pool to the other side. Unfortunately, there was a large hole in the bridge.

"Let me fix that," Zelda said and pulled out the Kokiri Fan.

She waved it in the direction of the bridge causing a layer of ice to form over the bridge due to the cool air. However, the ice quickly began to melt as Link and Zelda stepped on it.

"Run!" Zelda cried and ran to the other side of the bridge without slipping.

Link almost lost his balance, but he made it too as the ice evaporated into steam.

"The temperature is too hot," Zelda said looking down at the Kokiri Fan with disappointment. "This won't be very effective here."

" _But it's better than nothing,_ " Link said and saw a stone structure with a large set of stairs leading up to it. " _That must be Gorko Temple._ "

"Let's hope the tourists are still alive in there," Zelda said as they entered it.

To be continued…


	22. Chapter 22: Gorko Temple

Chapter 22: Gorko Temple

Inside the temple, Link and Zelda were baffled to see several stone statues cluttering the main foyer while imposing statues of Gorons stood over them. Further down, there was doorway that led to a door with a gold-colored lock on it suspended by gold chains. The smaller statues appeared to be Hylians with frightened expressions and they appeared to be running in place.

"These are the missing tourists," Zelda said.

" _But why are they turned to stone?_ " Link asked touching one of the statues.

"Must have something to do with whatever this temple is keeping locked up," Zelda guessed. "And it's probably behind that door up ahead."

" _Then we_ _'_ _ll need to find the key for it,_ " Link said, looking at the door with the golden lock. " _I_ _'_ _ll take a look around while you stay here._ "

"Oh, no," Zelda said following Link down a passage between two of the Goron statues. "I'm coming with you."

Link grumbled silently while Zelda trailed behind him. At the end of the passage was a small wooden door which wasn't locked. Cautiously, the two stepped through it and found themselves in a stone maze.

" _I wonder where this leads,_ " Link said slamming the wooden door.

There was a faint _rumble_ and then they saw a boulder rolling past them.

"Good job, Link," Zelda said folding her arms. "You activated the trap in this room by closing the door."

" _How was I supposed to know?_ " Link said exasperatedly. Then he looked both ways down the corridor and motioned Zelda to follow.

The two took a left downy the corridor then they were about to cross when another boulder rolled by. They waited for it to pass and continued on. Eventually they found a block that was stuck inside the wall in front of them. A third boulder rolled past them, and then Link pulled the block out with his bare hands.

"Wow, you're really strong, Link," Zelda noted as she jumped onto the block.

" _Well, working on a ranch does have its perks,_ " Link responded following Zelda's lead.

Above the block there was a ledge that ran along the outline of the maze. Link and Zelda got up onto it, and followed a path that was lit by torches but also crawling with lizard-like creatures.

"Dodongos!" Zelda exclaimed. "They're the natural enemies of the Gorons. What are they doing here?"

" _Don_ _'_ _t know,_ " Link responded fighting them back with the Master Sword. " _But maybe the Fused Shadow_ _'_ _s power attracted them._ "

"Maybe," Zelda said using her Wind Parasol to knock back the bat-like Keese that were flying down from the vaulted ceiling toward her and Link. "Considering all the creatures we encountered at the last temple, that wouldn't surprise me."

At the end of the path, they came into a small room with a wooden chest. Opening it, Link found a silver key. From there, the two backtracked until they came to the ledge once more. They walked along the ledge while having to deal with Keese that came flying down from the vaulted ceiling above the maze until Link and Zelda found a door with a silver lock on it. Once the door was open, they found themselves in a hallway where walls of fire emerged from the floor for a few seconds and then went back down.

"We'll have to time this perfectly if we're going to make it," Zelda said. "I'll go first, and freeze the fires with the Kokiri Fan so you can get across without any problem."

Before Link could protest, Zelda ran forward and got past the first wall of flames after it went down. She then blew cold air onto the hole where the flames had shot up from which caused a layer of ice to cover it. After doing this to all the other ones, Zelda reached the end of the hall where a door was, but a large boulder was in the way. She signaled to Link.

"Go find a Bomb Flower," Zelda said. "I'll stay here and keep the flames down."

Link nodded and went back out onto the ledge. A little ways back, he found a Bomb Flower growing inside a niche along the ledge, and picked it up. While the Bomb Flower flashed, Link ran as fast as he could back into the hallway, across the flames as they melted through the ice and threw it at the boulder. Zelda backed away as the bomb exploded, while the door behind it stayed miraculously intact. On the other side, Link and Zelda found themselves between the doorway and the door with the golden lock.

"We've just gone in one big circle," Zelda said irritably. "And we didn't find the golden key."

" _There seems to be another passage,_ " Link said, noticing a door that was similar to the one they came out of on the other side. " _But this one needs a key, and a silver one._ "

Groaning, Zelda walked back into the foyer where the frozen statues were and found a passageway between two Goron statues on the other side of the one they went through before. Link followed and soon the door closed behind them automatically. Inside, there was a narrow corridor where swinging blades tinged with fire sprang out from hidden niches.

"Fantastic," Zelda said sarcastically. "I don't think the Kokiri Fan will be of much use here."

So the two timed their steps and managed to barely avoid the swinging blades. On the other side, they found a chamber that was similar to the one before and another small chest. They found a second silver key inside and quickly made their way back to the door with the lock. After it was unlocked, Link and Zelda came to a room with a worn-down brick floor.

"Careful, Link," Zelda said tediously stepping onto the floor. "This looks very old and some of these bricks might come loose."

As she spoke, Link stepped onto a brick that sank beneath his feet. This caused him and Zelda to pick up the pace as the brick floor crumbled. Once they got to the other side, there was nothing but a gaping hole.

"That was close," Zelda remarked and noticed an empty room behind her.

As soon as they stepped in, Link and Zelda were confronted by several humanoid lizards wielding short swords.

"Great," Zelda said holding her Wind Parasol like a bat. "First Dodongos, and now we've got Lizalfos to deal with!"

The two fought back-to-back fending off the Lizalfos that came screaming towards them. Once they were all dead, a large chest appeared in the center of the room. Link immediately went and opened it. Inside, there were ten Bomb Flowers only they were blue instead of black.

"Wow, nice find," Zelda said. "Regular Bombs are much easier to carry than Bomb Flowers and you can light their fuses when you need to."

" _All right, then,_ " Link responded putting half of the Bombs in his new pack while giving Zelda the other half.

Behind the chest there was another door. Stepping through it, Zelda and Link discovered a path that spiraled down into a puddle of magma at the bottom. But to their surprise, the puddle of magma suddenly grew into a large blob with red eyes and a gigantic mouth that constantly spewed fire.

"It's Voltar!" Zelda exclaimed, replacing her Wind Parasol for the Kokiri Fan. "I thought Darak defeated him a long time ago. Link, you distract him while I'll try freezing his source!"

Then with that, Zelda bounded down the path while the monster known as Voltar spewed fire at Link. Using the Hylian Shield to block it, Link moved up and down the path while Zelda reached the bottom. She fanned the hole where Voltar's body emerged from causing him to briefly freeze over. This allowed Link to leap up and stab him in the forehead with the Master Sword. As a result, Voltar shrank but then the ice melted and he was back spewing fire.

After a couple more rounds, Voltar melted into a puddle of black goo which Zelda froze using the Kokiri Fan and Link shattered using the Master Sword. A golden chest appeared over the hole which Link opened. Inside he found a gold key.

"Sweet!" Zelda exclaimed. "Now let's head back to that door with the matching lock!"

To be continued…


	23. Chapter 23: Twilit Phoenix Pyrisk

Chapter 23: Twilit Phoenix Pyrisk

Past the door with the golden lock, Link and Zelda discovered a circular chamber with a large egg in the center. A few seconds later, the egg hatched and a creature emerged from it. Resembling a rooster, the creature had two heads with bright yellow eyes, a serpentine tail, and fiery wings. Once the creature saw them, a bright beam fired from the eyes on one of its heads causing a nearby Dodongo to turn to stone.

"So this thing is responsible for turning the tourists into stone statues," Zelda observed. "We need to topple it down and cut off its heads!"

" _Right,_ " Link agreed, holding the Master Sword hilt tightly.

The two split up and ran in opposite directions causing the bird to turn both of its heads. While one of the heads shot beams out of its eyes, the other squawked if either Link or Zelda got too close to it. So the two decided to attack the bird from a distance by throwing one Bomb each at its feet. Surprised, the bird fell over allowing Link to attack the head that shot the beams until it was completely destroyed. The other head snapped at Link when he tried to strike it allowing the bird to get back on its feet. This time, the bird ran toward Link and Zelda.

"This one's going to be tricky," Zelda noted. "Try rolling the Bombs towards its feet while you're running."

" _Okay,_ " Link said and followed Zelda's advice.

After timing it right, the Bombs exploded and the bird fell over. Link slashed its head like the other one until it fell over. Thinking it was done, Link walked away when all of a sudden the bird's body got up on its own. From its headless necks came spurts of liquid fire that rained down onto the floors of the chamber. Avoiding them, Link and Zelda moved closer to the bird's feet and placed two more bombs there. Once they exploded, the headless bird fell down and the fires stopped flowing from its neck. Like Voltar, the bird melted into a puddle of liquid that quickly dried up revealing the Hylians Rich and Prospero lying unconsciously on the floor with a piece of metal that had a neck-like brace and a rectangular spike running down the back of it.

"It's another Fused Shadow fragment," Zelda said, picking the metal piece up and putting it in her satchel with the other. "These two must've found it in here."

Link and Zelda then lifted Rich and Prospero up and brought them out into the foyer where all the tourists were no longer statues and moving very stiffly like they had just fallen asleep. While they weren't looking, the two placed Rich and Prospero by the foot of a nearby Goron statue and left. Outside the temple, Zelda and Link found a passage that ran along the river of magma till they reached a cave entrance that was blocked by rocks. Using the Bombs they found, they blew up the rocks and were surprised to find Darak standing there with the two guards Brutus and Tyrus on each side.

"I take it you've succeeded in removing the Fused Shadow fragment," Darak said. "Are the tourists safe?"

"They're all fine," Zelda replied. "Just slightly tired after being turned to stone while two of them, a husband and wife, are completely passed out and it was with them that we found the Fused Shadow fragment."

"Then they were probably the ones who got corrupted by it," Darak remarked solemnly.

" _What did you do about Flint?_ " Link asked.

"I sent him away claiming I was still deciding what to do with you, but now he's run off," Darak answered. "I'm afraid he'll be telling Ganon about my treachery soon and when that happens I'll be arrested for sure."

" _Then we have to stop him,_ " Link said.

"It's too late for that," Darak said shaking his head. "You need to leave this place and find the last Fused Shadow if you want to aid Midna's revolution."

Zelda gasped. "So you're—

"A member of the Twilight Wolves?" Tyrus said mockingly.

When Zelda gave Tyrus an odd look, Brutus explained, "Yeah, we know. We're actually members ourselves."

"What Ganondorf is doing to our fair city is wrong," Tyrus added. "Midna's the only one with guts who can take him down."

"And she'll need the power of the Fused Shadow artifact to achieve this," Darak finished. "For your bravery, you are now my sworn brother and sister. May the Goddesses smile upon you!"

Smiling, Link and Zelda bowed low to Darak and then they made their way down the mountain trail to the Skyloft Rail. There, they hitched a ride using their Talon Clasps and swung away from Terror Mountain.

###

Several hours later, Link and Zelda found themselves in the Zora District with the beach being completely empty and stormy skies overhead.

" _What is this place?_ " Link asked.

"The Zora District, though more specifically Sunrise Bay," Zelda answered. "It's certainly changed since I landed here yesterday and met Professor Phosile."

Before Link could respond, something emerged from the ocean. It resembled a person, but it had slimy skin with gills on its neck and fins on its arms. Its shiny black eyes stared at them with bewilderment before saying, "What are you land-dwellers doing here? The beach is no longer safe and neither will the ocean!"

"You must be one of the Zora," Zelda noted, which caused the creature to nod briefly. "What's happening here?"

"A storm suddenly appeared over the ocean yesterday and it hasn't stopped," the Zora answered. "Monsters have been appearing along the shore and the ocean's creatures are becoming increasingly more hostile."

" _Do you know where the storm is coming from?_ " Link asked.

"The Ralis Temple," the Zora said with a dreaded tone. "It was a sacred place, but now it's become possessed by something evil that threatens our District."

"Are you familiar with the Fused Shadow fragments?" Zelda asked.

"Unfortunately, I am," the Zora replied.

"Is it possible that a Fused Shadow fragment is causing this storm?"

"I know it is, because I was the one who put the Fused Shadow fragment in the temple."

Link and Zelda looked at the Zora with surprise.

To be continued…


	24. Chapter 24: Sunrise Bay

Chapter 24: Sunrise Bay

"Ten years ago, after Zant was overthrown, Midna sent me on a mission to put the Fused Shadow fragment in the Ralis Temple," the Zora explained. "Fortunately, she diminished the Fused Shadow's power enough to not affect anything that touched it, so I had no difficulty fulfilling the mission. But overtime, the Fused Shadow fragments have been growing stronger and so now if something that's not of the Twilight Realm were to touch them they become horrible monsters."

"Yeah, we noticed," Zelda said.

The Zora's eyes widened. "Then you've been to the other temples?"

" _We were sent by Midna to collect the Fused Shadow fragments in exchange for a way out of Skyloft,_ " Link answered.

"I see." The Zora pondered for a moment and then said, "Then I might be able to help you two. My name is Raoole."

After they introduced themselves, Link and Zelda waited inside a shack near the pier where an empty boat was docked while the Zora who called himself Raoole leapt back into the sea to retrieve some things that would help Link and Zelda breathe underwater more easily.

"So, Link, I've been thinking…" Zelda said, looking at her satchel nervously. "If the Fused Shadow fragments have enough power to turn innocent beings into monsters, can you imagine how powerful it would be if completed? Whoever tries to wield something like that would go insane for sure!"

" _Then you're saying we shouldn't give the Fused Shadow fragments to Midna?_ " Link asked.

Zelda shook her head. "No, we've come too far to back out now. But if we find an alternative to leaving Skyloft that's safe, then we'll get rid of the Fused Shadow fragments."

" _What about the Infinity Gauntlet?_ " Link said, pointing to it. " _Can't we just use that?_ "

"I'd rather not," Zelda said putting the gauntlet-covered hand under her other arm. "I can't control where it would take us, and the Punctures don't last long enough for a person to step through. It needs more testing, and I think the only reason Ganon is after me is because he wants the gauntlet for himself."

" _Well in that case, why not test it here?_ _There's no one around except the two of us._ "

After a brief _sigh_ , Zelda said, "Fine, if you insist."

So Zelda cleared a space inside the shack before charging the gauntlet up. Once it was fully powered, she punched into the air and created a blurry image which she called a 'Puncture'. The Puncture showed Impa and Lana sitting by a tree. Their lips moved, but neither Link nor Zelda could make out what they were saying. Then to Zelda's surprise, Impa and Lana turned their heads to face them and stood up with baffled looks. Zelda cautiously reached her hand toward the Puncture just as Impa did the same on the other side. The two touched hands, and they were both surprised by it. Smiling, Lana took Zelda's hand too and pushed her and Impa forward. They emerged through the Puncture as blurry shapes that steadily became more solid.

"It worked," Zelda, letting go of Impa and Lana's hands. "I was able to bring someone from another reality into this one!"

"That's because you're—

Lana's sentence was cut off as she and Impa faded away and vanished back into the Puncture which closed up. The only thing that remained was a crossbow and a pouch full of small arrows.

###

"What just happened?" Impa wondered after she and Lana had been transported back to the tree which stood at the entrance to Kakariko Village.

"I think Zelda tried to pull us through some kind of portal but it didn't work," Lana suggested, examining the spot where the strange hole had appeared earlier.

"How do you know it was her?" Impa asked.

"Because she looked like an older version of the girl we left behind," Lana said. "But what troubles me more is that thing she was wearing on her arm, which looked just like the device I saw in my vision."

"Then Ganon is probably looking for her as we speak," Impa said, looking up to the sky. "I wish we could go up to Skyloft and help her."

"I'd like to, but then that would get Cia's attention and she would definitely ruin our plans for sure, " Lana replied wearily.

###

" _Impa was carrying these things when I met her,_ " Link said picking up one of the arrows which was made of glass with clear liquid inside. " _She used this to knock me out._ "

"What you have there is a Sleep Arrow," Zelda answered, taking the items from Link. "It's filled with a liquid poison that causes the victim to get knocked out for several hours, which is typically fired by a Crossbow. There are other arrows here too that can stun a person, make noise, or blast something, but why would these things remain and not Impa or Lana?"

" _Maybe the gauntlet isn't powerful enough to bring living things through the Punctures,_ " Link suggested.

"You might be right, but with enough tinkering I could get past that barrier," Zelda said, putting the Crossbow and arrows into her satchel.

A faint knocking caught Link and Zelda's attention. It was Raoole, and he was carrying two blue tunics with scale-like armor, gold helmets with pointy caps, and flippers.

" _So this must be the Zora Armor you were talking about,_ " Link noted, examining the tunic. " _How does it work?_ "

"You put it on, and get into the water," Raoole said. "The armor will do the rest."

"Okay," Zelda said and went into the shack's bathroom to change.

###

Once Link had changed as well, he and Zelda walked onto the pier wearing the Zora Armor. They followed Raoole into the water and to their amazement they were able to breathe underwater without too much difficulty. Swimming along the artificial sea-floor, the two encountered several creatures that blocked their way including Skullfish, Octorok, and Desbreko. Swimming around them, they eventually came to a set of four stone pillars which ran all the way up to the surface of the water where a large stone building stood and the storm clouds seem to gather around.

"That's Ralis Temple," Raoole pointed. "It would be too dangerous for us to surface at the front entrance, given the severity of the storm, but I know another way in."

To be continued…


	25. Chapter 25: Ralis Temple

Chapter 25: Ralis Temple

Beneath the temple there was a metal chute that appeared to be shut. Raoole loosened the lid, allowing Link and Zelda to swim up through the chute. They found themselves in a stone slide with no water running down, and climbed up onto the wall while Raoole closed up the chute to keep the ocean water out. On the other side of the wall, Link and Zelda beheld an array of indoor pools that were dried up with stone bridges running over them and a mural that ran along the sides depicting the Zora's origins, the rulers that had come before, and their ascension to Skyloft. One image stood out to Link the most, and it showed a female Zora and a young boy facing each other with their eyes closed holding a blue-colored stone between them.

"These ponds used to be filled with water," Raoole said sadly. "The thing that the Fused Shadow infused with must've done it."

"Probably," Zelda said and looked down at the slide. "What's that for?"

"In the early days, foolish Hylians and Gerudos tried to steal gold from us and so we installed traps throughout the place," Raoole said. "The slide was used to dump the dead bodies into the ocean, but it's been disabled along with the other traps."

Link and Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. After changing out of the Zora Armor, they and Raoole investigated the pools which were now infested with slime-like ChuChus. Using their respective weapons, Zelda and Link were able to turn the ChuChus into jelly. At the bottom of each pond there was a large pearl and a stone pipe.

"They may look like pearls, but they're actually nobs," Raoole said. "Turn them to pump water back into the ponds."

" _What'll that do?_ " Link asked.

"Hopefully lure out whatever caused the ponds to be drained in the first place," Raoole said.

Changing back into the Zora Armor, Link walked down to bottom of a pond after defeating all the ChuChus and then he turned the pearl to the left. A stream of water flowed from the pipe and filled the pool up in a matter of seconds. Zelda told Link when the water reached the edge of the pool causing him to twist the pearl to the right which stopped the water flow. They did this seven more times until all the ponds were filled. This caused a stone door to open.

"I guess we need to go this way," Zelda guessed heading through the stone door.

Link and Raoole followed, and they found themselves at the top of a flooded stairway. Link walked down the steps in the Zora Armor, but then he came back up a few moments later.

" _There's a tunnel at the bottom of the staircase, but the entrance is blocked by iron bars that are too small for me to swim through,_ " Link reported.

"Maybe hitting that crystal over there will do something," Zelda said, pointing to a white crystal on a ledge across the stairway. She pulled out her Crossbow, inserted a Blast Arrow, and fired.

The arrow hit the crystal and exploded on impact. While the crystal wasn't damaged, it changed from white to yellow. Suddenly, the bars that blocked the entrance vanished.

"Sounds like it worked," Raoole noted.

The three of them swam through the tunnel, which then turned into a maze of tunnels that were filled with clam-shaped Shell Blades. Swimming past them, they came up into a stone chamber with a small wooden chest. Opening it, Link found a silver-colored key. Then after some more exploring, they found a door with a similar-colored lock.

Inside, they found an empty pit with spikes at the bottom. There was another crystal on the other side, prompting Zelda to shoot it with a Blast Arrow. Once the crystal changed color, the two pipes along the sides of the pit suddenly pumped water. After the pit was full of water, Zelda, Link, and Raoole swam to the other side and opened the door. There, they found several Tektites skimming along a ring of water that circled a small platform. Jumping onto the platform, Link and Zelda fended off the Tektites while reaching the large chest in the center.

Inside, there was a rifle-shaped item that had a black handle with a silver tube above a metal shaft. A black-colored hose connected the tube and shaft near the handle and there was a leather strap attached to the bottom.

"Isn't this…a Steam Gun?" Zelda pondered.

"A Zora Steam Gun, to be exact," Raoole corrected, standing behind Link and Zelda. "They're made from silver-copper-gold alloys and have a firing range of 7-15 feet."

" _Let's see if it works,_ " Link said, picking up the Steam Gun and pointing it at a nearby Tektite.

After pulling the trigger, a spout of concentrated steam emerged from the shaft's end causing the Tektite to shriek in pain until it eventually died.

"That will certainly come in handy around here," Zelda responded.

###

After doing some more exploring around the maze, they found another silver key in a chamber filled with Dexihands. Once they got this, they wandered around the maze till they came to another door with a silver lock only this time it was located at the top of a staircase infested with ChuChus. Using the Steam Gun, Link was able to turn the ChuChus into jelly before placing the silver key into the lock. On the other side, Link and the others found themselves on an outdoor balcony that overlooked Sunset Bay all the way to the shore, but the skies were still stormy and there were occasional flashes of lightning. Treading quickly across the balcony, the three came to another door which opened into a dark room with a shrine at the end. A small fountain gurgled at the foot of this shrine, but when Link and Zelda stepped closer to it a pair of red eyes appeared in the fountain and a tiger-like creature made of pure water with a fish-tail emerged.

"That's Teegra, the Sea-Shark!" Raoole exclaimed. "Don't let her touch you! You'll turn into liquid water!"

So Link and Zelda kept their distance of the creature as it ran towards them. While Zelda used the Noise Arrows to distract Teegra, Link blasted it from behind with the Steam Gun. After a few rounds, Teegra evaporated into steam and a gold-colored chest appeared at the foot of the fountain. Inside it, Link and Zelda found a gold key.

To be continued…


	26. Chapter 26: Twilit Undine Torrentous

Chapter 26: Twilit Undine Torrentous

Backtracking along the balcony, Link, Zelda, and Raoole found a door with a gold-colored lock. Using the gold key, the door unlocked and they stepped inside. Once the door closed behind them, a faint rumble echoed in the darkness until a small orb of light suddenly appeared. Unfortunately, the orb was attached to a scary fish-face with milky-white eyes, horn-like fins on the sides of its head, long fangs coming from its gigantic mouth, an eel-like body, frog-like hands, and a barbed tail swished around it.

"This doesn't look good," Zelda noted arming an arrow into the Crossbow.

In response, the creature roared. A torrent of water spewed from its mouth causing Raoole to be slammed against the wall behind him.

" _Raoole!_ " Link exclaimed.

"I'm fine," Raoole said weakly. "Just take care of the monster."

So while Zelda distracted the monster with the Noise Arrows, Link attacked the monster's arms. Though the barbed tail proved to be a nuisance, Link managed to cut the arms off after a few strikes each. The creature fell face-first, but its tail swung around and hit random pillars with intention of burying Link and Zelda. Fortunately, the two evaded the falling rocks and attacked the barbed tail from different sides. While Link used the Zora Steam Gun to create dampness on the tail, Zelda used the Kokiri Fan to blow cold air which turned the tail into a frozen popsicle. Then to finish it off, Zelda fired a Blast Arrow at the tail causing it to shatter into several pieces.

The monster roared in agony as its skin dried up to the point where it was nothing more than a giant skeleton which in turn shattered. All that remained was a fat frog-like creature with fish eyes and the same textured skin as Raoole.

"Father!" Raoole exclaimed.

Link and Zelda watched as Raoole got up and limped over the frog creature. While it groaned, Raoole picked the creature that was apparently his father up and walked toward the circle of light that appeared at the center of the room. Zelda and Link followed, causing them to all be transported to the front entrance of Ralis Temple which was below the balcony on a long walkway that pointed in the direction of the beach, which was now visible as the storm clouds had cleared up.

"Do you need any help?" Zelda asked, noticing Raoole's bruises.

"No, I got this," Raoole said. "You need to grab the Fused Shadow fragment and leave Ralis Temple as quickly as you can."

"Right," Zelda said holding up an item that she picked up next to where Raoole's father lay which resembled a pair of horns.

Just as Zelda put the third Fused Shadow fragment into her satchel, a swarm of Clockwork Policemen came flying towards them on propellers attached to their heads. But when her and the others tried to head for the water they were suddenly blocked by Cia who waved her hand which knocked them down.

"Going somewhere, Prince Raoole?" Cia asked mockingly.

Ignoring the surprised glances of Zelda and Link, Raoole got to his feet and said, "Cia. What an unexpected surprise."

"I'm here to place you under arrest for being a member of the Twilight Wolves and aiding the False Hero," Cia said, and pulled out a helm made from the same metal as the Fused Shadow fragments with an eye on the front of it. "And here's what left of your precious leader once I was through with her."

As she tossed the helm onto the ground, Zelda's satchel started glowing. Then the three Fused Shadow fragments that were in the satchel flew out and attached themselves to the helm, creating a complete helmet with horns, eye-shaped protectors, and a neck-brace.

"Well, what have we here," Cia said, picking up the helmet with a gleeful smile. "The famous Fused Shadow that destroyed the Twili District's former leader Zant. Mayor Ganon will be pleased to have this in his collection."

"He won't get it!" Zelda exclaimed and fired an arrow from her crossbow at Cia.

But Cia just smirked and caught the arrow in her hand. "Nice try, Zelda, but you'll have to do-

The arrow exploded in Cia's hand, causing her to reel back. This allowed Zelda, Link, and Raoole to get past her just as the Clockwork Policemen were landing on the walkway. While Zelda and Link distracted the Policemen, Raoole dived into the ocean with his father in tow. After this happened, Cia appeared once more and waved her hand causing Zelda and Link to freeze in place.

"Foolish child!" Cia snapped, holding her other hand over the part of her mask that got blown off during the explosion. "My flawless face almost got ruined because of you!"

She then took off her mask, and the face that was revealed shocked both Link and Zelda. It looked like a spitting image of Lana's face, but with short white hair, dark skin, purple eyes, and a red jewel-shaped pin.

"Look familiar?" Cia mocked. "I bet Lana never told you about me, did she?"

"She said you were a witch, and a liar," Zelda said.

Cia chuckled. "How can I be a witch if I'm a Priestess? And while I may stretch the truth, it's to assure the citizens of Skyloft that nothing bad will come to them and the False Hero will bring us all down if he isn't destroyed!"

The Triforce symbol glowed on Zelda's hand, causing her to be unbound by Cia's magic. She then quickly charged up the Infinity Gauntlet while fighting off several Clockwork Policemen with the Wind Parasol. Meanwhile, the Triforce symbol appeared on Link's hand, allowing him to stop Cia from impaling him with a ceremonial knife.

" _Take the Fused Shadow and go!_ " Link shouted. " _I'll fend Cia off for as long as I can!_ "

Zelda stopped and looked surprised. "But Link-

" _Go!_ " Link insisted.

So Zelda picked up the Fused Shadow, made a Puncture with the Infinity Gauntlet, and slipped through it.

To be continued…


	27. Chapter 27: The Waterfall

Chapter 27: The Waterfall

On the other side of the Puncture, Zelda found herself standing before the Palace of Twilight in the Twili District. There were two pedestals mounted with two glowing orbs that shined brightly. Outside the cloudy yellow-tinted sky, Zelda saw explosions occurring in every district of Skyloft, including the courtyard with the Goddess Statue.

She made her way into the Palace of Twilight, and was immediately ambushed by several armed Twili guards. When they saw the Fused Shadow, they backed away and escorted her to the platform where the Rail Riders were. They were now tied up and watched over by more Twili guards. Midna was watching them with her back to Zelda.

"What is it, Captain?" Midna asked without turning.

"It's a Hylian girl," the biggest Twili guard said. "She's brought the Fused Shadow."

"That can't be," Midna said, turning to face Zelda. Her face looked more worn than before. "You should've been corrupted by its power by now."

"Well, I'm not," Zelda answered. "Don't you remember me, Midna? It's me, Zelda."

Midna looked surprise. "How can you be standing here? You're still locked up in the Goddess Statue as far as we know."

"I was rescued by Link," Zelda answered.

Midna flinched. "Impossible! Link's dead!"

"Dead?" Zelda's hands trembled. "How?"

Midna's eyebrows furrowed. "It was the Priestess Cia who killed him. I sent him on a mission to retrieve the Fused Shadow fragments, but she was on his trail the whole time. His sacrifice inspired us to retaliate against those who support Ganon."

"So he joined the Twilight Wolves?" Zelda looked in the direction of the explosions and said, "How are you attacking when you're bound here?"

"We have many allies outside the Twili District, including Darak of the Gorons," Midna answered. "He's been providing our forces with enough Bombs to blow up the whole city, even the floating islands."

"But you can't do that!" Zelda exclaimed. "You'll be killing hundreds of innocent people, maybe thousands, and Hyrule Castle will be destroyed below us!"

"Don't get too excited," Midna said. "I don't plan to destroy the city. I'll just eliminate Ganon's forces and then take over as the new ruler of Skyloft, bathing it in a permanent Twilight that will soon spread across the world below."

"Then you're basically dooming all of us non-Twili folk to an external existence as spirits?" Karoline shouted. "Even though we've done nothing wrong?"

"Don't lie to yourself, Hylian scum!" Midna snapped. "Your people are the worst of all! You did nothing when Ganon rose to power, and instead accepted his lies like mindless sheep! For that, you'll be the first Hylians to die!"

"No!" Zelda shouted, getting Midna's attention. She held the Fused Shadow above her head and said, "If you kill them, I'll destroy the Fused Shadow."

"How can I be certain it's the real thing?" Midna said after a pause. "For all I know, it could be a fake and that you're not really Zelda but a spy disguised as her."

"I fought several monsters that were infused with these fragments, but for some reason I'm not affected by their power," Zelda said. "I can't explain it, Midna, but you have to trust me."

Midna looked between the Rail Riders and Zelda. Then she said, "Hand the Fused Shadow over to me, and I'll see if it's real or not."

"Only if you let the Rail Riders go," Zelda said.

"Very well," Midna replied and snapped her finger.

The Twili guards immediately untied the Rail Riders who hooked their Talon Clasps onto the Skyloft Rail above them and zipped away.

"I met my end of the bargain," Midna said holding her hand out. "Now meet yours."

So reluctantly, Zelda gave Midna the Fused Shadow. She then placed it over her head and a black energy engulfed her. To everyone's surprise, Midna was transformed into a spider-like beast that roared loudly causing the clouds to move. As the Twili guards cheered, they were immediately squashed by the creature's feet as it leaped onto the Skyloft Rail and took off after the Rail Riders. Zelda followed in pursuit and used her Talon Clasp to ride the Skyloft Rail.

Using the Kokiri Fan, she fanned flames underneath the creature's underside causing it to shutter briefly. Then it reared its gigantic helm-shaped head down at Zelda and used on of its arm-like legs to unclasp the talons. This caused Zelda to briefly freefall before hitting something underneath her. She discovered it was some kind of machine with wings flapping furiously, and then a familiar face emerged from under the cloth she fell onto.

"Impa," Zelda said gladly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain later," Impa said, grabbing Zelda's hands. "You need to get in here."

Then before Zelda could ask, Impa dragged her off the cloth-like roof and into a space where a pair of seats were situated slightly below the wings and Lana was seated up front pulling several levers and a steering-wheel looking device.

"Do you think you take us higher, Lana?" Impa shouted.

"I'm not sure, now that there's extra weight on board!" Lana answered, and looked briefly at Zelda. She and Impa were wearing brown uniforms, glass-tinted goggles, and leather pouches that covered their mouths.

"I know how we could gain altitude!" Zelda said, holding up her Wind Parasol. "This thing can absorb wind and release it in gusts. I could position this below the thing we're in and blow the air downwards thus causing us to go up."

"For your information, this is a Loftwing!" Lana responded. "And don't think about endangering yourself! We came all this way to rescue you!"

"I'll be fine!" Zelda said and leaned over the side of the seat she was on twirling the Wind Parasol. Meanwhile, Impa was lying flat against the roof of the Loftwing.

Once Zelda had twirled it enough times, she folded the Wind Parasol only to unfold it. A powerful blast of wind caused the Loftwing to be skyrocketed up at an angle toward the floating islands. Lana tried to steer, but the force of the gale was so great that they crashed into the deep pool below a floating waterfall. As the Loftwing submerged, Zelda quickly put on her Zora Armor and caught Lana and Impa before they sank. She dragged both of them up to the pool's surface and onto the shoreline. Beyond it was the Bazaar, which was completely decimated as Clockwork Policemen fought against a mixture of Gorons and Zoras.

"Thanks for saving us," Lana said, removing the leather mask.

"Unfortunately, our only ride out of Skyloft is out of commission," Impa reported as the Loftwing sank to the bottom of the pool.

From a hidden cave, Zelda noticed several shapes swimming up. They were Zoras, and they didn't look very friendly.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Zelda said, picking Impa and Zelda off the ground. "This is clearly a war-zone!"

To be continued…


	28. Chapter 28: Sheikah District

Chapter 28: Sheikah District

Once they had gotten away from the floating islands, Zelda, Impa, and Lana made their way to the Sheikah District which consisted of a maze of canyon walls in a desert that connected to the Gerudo District. Near nightfall, they had reached a small settlement of houses and shops that appeared to be empty while a windmill continued to turn.

"What's it called?" Zelda asked looking around.

"Kakario Village," Impa answered. "This is my home, and where you were raised before Ganon found you."

"That's why these buildings look so familiar," Zelda noted. "I wonder where everyone is."

"They're all dead," said a menacing voice that belonged to a scarecrow-like being who was leaning in the shadow of a porch. "Word has it that the leader of the Sheikah who served the Mayor proved unfaithful, and so he captured all the villagers and executed them. Now it's nothing more than a ghost-town with tourists occasionally going through."

"Skull Kid!" Zelda exclaimed. "How did you get here?"

"I get around," Skull Kid answered nonchalantly. "Aren't you supposed to be locked up in your tower, Princess?"

"I'm not from this reality!" Zelda snapped, causing everyone to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Lana asked.

"It's a long story," Zelda said exasperatedly. "All you need to know is that I come from another place that is like here and it was made possible with this device."

When Zelda showed off the Infinity Gauntlet, Lana seemed surprised.

"That device…" Lana said wearily. "I saw it in a vision, before sending Link up here. You were punching holes into nothing with it, traveling to places that looked similar but with slight differences, and then Ganon was wearing it as whole kingdoms and lands were being destroyed from above."

"Speaking of Link, where is he?" Impa asked.

"He's dead," Zelda said reluctantly.

Lana and Impa looked shocked.

"Were you with him?" Lana wondered.

"No, I learned this secondhand," Zelda said. "Apparently he joined the Twilight Wolves in order to receive their aid in rescuing me, and by that I mean the Zelda of this reality, but he got killed while trying to collect the Fused Shadow fragments for Midna, which Link and I were tasked to find by the Midna from my reality."

"I'm not sure I follow, but everything she said about Link is true," Skull Kid said. "The Priestess Cia stabbed him in the heart, and then that caused Midna to order her non-Twili allies to attack Ganon's forces including the Gorons and the Zoras. Only now, she somehow got ahold of the complete Fused Shadow and is wrecking the city with it."

"That was my fault," Zelda admitted. "I bargained it for the lives of a group of Hylians that were captured by Midna, whom she was going to kill."

"Then you shouldn't blame yourself," Impa said, hugging Zelda tightly. "You only did what you thought was right."

"But now Skyloft is going to be destroyed because of what I did," Zelda said, looking up at Impa with teary eyes. "Is there anything I can do to stop her?"

"You could always summon the Light Spirits," Skull Kid suggested.

"The Light Spirits?" Zelda gave Skull Kid an odd look.

"They're ancient beings made of pure energy that rid the land of Twilight when it spread across Hyrule long ago," Lana explained. "They came up to Skyloft when the Fused Shadow found its way here, and now rest in unknown locations until they are summoned."

"Then how are we supposed to find them?"

"First, you must locate the four Wind Instruments," Skull Kid said. "Then you have to play a certain song to summon each of the four Light Spirits, and only then would they be willing to help you."

Zelda looked dubious. "How do you know all of this, Skull Kid?"

"I've been around long enough to know what's what," Skull Kid answered.

"Do you have any alternatives in mind?" Impa asked Lana.

"Not really," Lana said shaking her head. "The only thing I can think of is that if Zelda returns to her reality and prevents the same event from happening there, then this reality won't happen."

"I've thought about that too, but I think each reality has its own separate timeline that may have similar events going on but are completely separate from one another. So if the Hero of Infinite Possibilities dies in this reality then the Zelda of this reality will never get rescued."

"All the more reason to go back to your reality," Lana said. "You can erase the possibility of Link's death from occurring in the first place."

"But it won't be your reality that'll change," Zelda argued. "Look, I'd love to spend more time talking about this, Lana, but if we don't find those Light Spirits soon the whole city will be covered in Twilight and then the world after that."

Everyone stood in silence until Skull Kid spoke. "I know where one Wind Instrument is."

"Where?" The women asked.

"In the Graveyard of this village, there's a removable tombstone that'll lead you to an underground passage," Skull Kid said, in a mockingly scary voice. "From there, you'll reach the Sacred Spring which is guarded by a fearsome creature."

"I see," Zelda responded, and shrugged. "Doesn't sound all that difficult to me."

"Are you insane?" Impa said, pinching Zelda's shoulder. "You could get seriously hurt, or possibly killed. Therefore, I'm going down with you."

"Me too!" Lana added. "My spells could come in handy."

In response, Zelda groaned and marched toward the Kakario Village's Graveyard which was located on a hill that was partially visible behind the windmill. Impa and Lana followed her with Skull Kid bringing up the rear. He glanced back every now and then.

"You see him too?" Impa said, glancing in the same direction as Skull Kid.

In the shadow of an alleyway, there was a slim masculine figure wearing a blue and white skin-tight suit with a red eye pattern on the chest, a matching white scarf covering his mouth, and bandages covering a head of long blond hair tied in a ponytail. His visible red eye noticed Impa and Skull Kid's glance, and so he darted away.

To be continued…


	29. Chapter 29: Sacred Spring

Chapter 29: Sacred Spring

At the Graveyard, Zelda found a tombstone with the Triforce symbol on it. Figuring this was the one Skull Kid was talking about, Zelda used all her strength to move it but the tombstone wouldn't budge. It took her and Impa's strength combined to move the tombstone, revealing a deep hole.

"Are you sure the Sacred Spring's down there?" Lana asked nervously.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure," Skull Kid nodded.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Zelda said and jumped down the hole using her Wind Parasol to lighten the fall.

While Zelda landed lightly at the bottom of the hole, Impa tumbled down while Lana landed on her feet and lost her footing. Once Zelda and Impa steadied her, the three of them headed down the underground passage that was conveniently lit with torches.

"Isn't Skull Kid coming with us?" Zelda asked.

"He volunteered to stand guard by the tombstone. Someone was following us earlier," Impa said bluntly, causing Lana and Zelda to look surprised.

"Why didn't you say so?" Zelda demanded.

"Because I didn't want to trouble you," Impa answered.

"It still would've been good to know," Zelda grumbled. "I'm not the sheltered child you raised, nor am I the same Zelda."

"Well, whatever experiences you may have gone through before coming here have certainly made you more confident," Impa said. "But don't get cocky."

"I won't," Zelda said and noticed several Keese flying toward them.

She used the Kokiri Fan to freeze them which caused them to fall and shatter on the ground. A little ways up they came to a rotating platform on it that was crowded with wolf-like Wolfos. After defeating them, the platform stopped rotating and a wheel appeared in the center.

"I guess this means we can decide which way to go," Zelda said, putting her hands of the wheel. "Any ideas?"

"If memory serves me correctly," Lana said looking at the three available passages. "I think the way to the Sacred Spring is the middle."

So Zelda turned the wheel, and the bridge that was attached to the platform rotated until it connected to the middle passage. After fighting off some more Wolfos and Keese along the way, the three came to a dead-end with a small chest and a large chest. Opening the large chest first, Zelda found an item shaped like a gun but it was slimmer and smaller than the Zora Steam Gun with a black velvet tube attached to the end of the shaft. A red eye symbol was emblazoned on the side of it.

"My Goddesses," Impa exclaimed upon seeing the gun. "It's an antique Sheikah Silencer. I haven't seen one of these in years."

"So it fires silent bullets?" Zelda said, examining it.

"Exactly," Lana said and pointed to the velvet tube. "That tube silences whatever bullets you fire, so your enemies won't be able to hear you."

"Neat," Zelda said and added the Sheikah Silencer to her arsenal.

Then she opened the smaller chest, revealing a small silver key.

"Did any of you see a place for this anywhere?" Zelda wondered.

"I saw keyholes in the stump that the steering-wheel was attached to," Lana said.

Going off of her advice, the three left the room and went back to the platform. Sure enough there were three keyholes. All were silver, then at the center of the steering-wheel there was a fourth keyhole that was gold.

"Great, more puzzles," Zelda murmured.

"You've done these before?" Impa wondered.

"I did about three back in my reality, when searching for the Fused Shadow fragments with Link," Zelda answered.

She placed the key in one of the silver keyholes causing the platform to turn to the left. From there, Zelda and the others went down the left passage and encountered Skulltulas along with black fuzzy shapes with red eyes known as Black Boes. Avoiding them, they came to another room with a small chest and a silver key inside it. Taking it back to the platform, they put the key into another keyhole which caused the platform to swing right.

Down the passage on the right, there were Deku Babas and Bio Deku Babas which hung from the ceiling. Killing these, the three were able to unlock the door to the third room which contained a small chest with a key. After putting the third key in the third lock, the platform rotated to a blank wall. Confused, the girls watched as the blank wall suddenly opened up revealing another passage. Following it, the three came to a large room with a pit in the center. From this pit emerged a giant mole with blue flames coming from from his eyes, a frosty breath, and large metallic claws.

"Coledigger!" Impa said, clenching her fists. "I thought we buried you in the desert!"

The mole-like creature roared and breathed a frosty gale that froze everything it touched. While Lana fired blasts of energy from her hands and Impa punched the mole with brute strength, Zelda took out the Crossbow and fired several Blast Arrows at the mole's head. It screeched in agony with each blow until it sank back into the hole which filled up with dirt. A gold treasure-chest appeared, prompting Zelda to open it, revealing a gold-colored key.

After that, Zelda inserted the golden key into the steering-wheel which caused it to spin rapidly. As a result, the platform spun really fast in a downward spiral until it reached the bottom. Feeling ill, the girls limped forward away from the platform down a steep rocky incline. The air was much cooler and the sound of rippling water could be heard. Zelda and the others looked up and saw a clear spring that was frosted over. Just as Zelda was about to step onto the ice, something emerged from beneath it. To Zelda, the creature resembled an elongated fish, but it had no eyes with a translucent body and sharp teeth.

To be continued…


	30. Chapter 30: Desert Cave Fish Tetrylobyte

Chapter 30: Desert Cave Fish Tetrylobyte

"What is that?" Zelda asked, backing away from the frozen spring.

"Tetrylobyte," Impa answered. "He guards the Sacred Spring from intruders, but he's acting more aggressive than usual."

"We need to defeat him if we're to obtain the Wind Instrument," Lana said. "Since he can't see, his other senses must be heightened such as hearing and smell."

"Then this will come in handy," Zelda responded, holding up the Sheikah Silencer.

While Lana hit the surface of the spring with blasts of energy that caused Tetrylobyte to surface, Zelda shot it in the head with bullets from the Sheikah Silencer. This caused the creature to cry out in pain and dive back under the ice. After taking several bullets, Tetrylobyte trashed violently onto the surface of the frozen spring and then he coughed something up before passing out. Lana walked over to the thing Tetrylobyte had spit out and levitated it in her hand. It appeared to be a black gemstone with red lining.

"This was what caused Tetrylobyte to act more aggressive," Lana said showing it to Impa and Zelda. "It was a Shadow Crystal."

"How did it swallow such a thing?" Impa wondered. "There are no Shadow Crystals in the Sheikah District."

"But they do come from the Twili District," Zelda said. "Midna must've known a Wind Instrument was here and sent one of her non-Twili agents to feed Tetrylobyte a Shadow Crystal so that it would go crazy and eventually die from the crystal's corruptive power."

"That's horrible," Impa said with disgust. "All to prevent someone from summoning a Light Spirit, which is the only thing that could weaken Midna's power."

"So if the Twilight Wolves got here before we did, then they must've gotten to the other Wind Instrument locations too and affected their guardians," Lana guessed.

"You're probably right, Lana, though that would imply that Midna has been planning this attack for a long time," Zelda said.

The ice melted off the frozen spring as Tetrylobyte sank to the bottom and a bassoon made of wood that seemed to radiate heat from it appeared at the center of the spring.

"The Bassoon of the South," Impa murmured. "I've heard stories about this instrument since I was a child. It was said to be forged by the first Sheikah Tribe leader when he discovered a tree in the desert that could produce fire. It saved Kakario Village from a terrible winter, but it was the last tree of its kind. So the bassoon was made in honor of that sacred tree."

"Let's hope it still works," Zelda said and used her Talon Clasp to grab the bassoon from the spring's center. She picked up the bassoon and was about to try playing it when the mysterious masculine figure Impa and Skull Kid saw suddenly appeared.

Impa immediately rushed at the boy, but he parried her attacks with ease.

"Who are you?" Impa asked, standing her ground.

"I'm a Sheikah, like you are," the boy responded.

"But Skull Kid told us the remaining Sheikah were all dead," Lana said.

"He didn't tell you the whole truth," the boy said. "Most of the Sheikah died when Mayor Ganon decided to punish us for Impa's treachery, but a few survived and went into hiding. I was one of the lucky ones."

"What's your name?" Impa asked.

"Uh…" The boy hesitated, and then he said, "Sheik."

"Sheik?" Lana said bemused. "That's an unusual name."

"Why were you following us earlier?" Zelda asked.

"I saw that flying contraption you three were flying and got curious," Sheik answered. "But now that I've overheard your conversations, I want to help you."

"How?" Zelda said doubtfully.

"If you hope to summon Eldin, the Light Spirit that resides in the Sheikah District, then you need to play the Sonata of the Desert Wind," Sheik said, taking out a small gold harp. "Are you musically trained, Zelda?"

"Of course," Zelda replied.

"Fine, then repeat after me," Sheik noted and played a few notes on his harp twice.

Zelda repeated Sheik's notes on the bassoon, creating a melody that was smooth and melodic. This caused a real fountain to burst forth and a creature appeared that seemed bird-like with spiral patterns on the tips of its wings with a glowing orb clutched in its talons.

" _Who calls Eldin, the Spirit of Light that slumbers in the Sacred Spring?_ " the bird demanded in a low roaring tone.

"I-I did," Zelda said, taking a few steps back.

The bird looked down at Zelda. " _What brings you here?_ "

"We need your help," Zelda answered. "Midna, the leader of the Twilis, has gotten ahold of the Fused Shadow artifact, and it's all my fault. Is there some way you can keep the influence of the Twilight Realm at bay?"

Edin ruffled his feathers slightly, and he sighed. " _The tone in your voice suggests truthfulness, and even now I sense a great darkness that is slowly engulfing the floating city. Unfortunately, I cannot do it alone. You must find my brothers, and only then can we drive back the darkness._ "

"Then I have to awaken the other Light Spirits before you can do anything?" Zelda said, trying to hide the irritation in her voice.

" _Exactly,_ " replied Eldin. " _I_ _shall remain here and gather my strength, but I can tell you where the second Wind Instrument is located._ "

"Where is it?"

" _Go to the eastern shore, and look for a grotto that lies beneath the waves,_ " said Eldin as he vanished in a flash of light.

As a circle of light appeared, Zelda stepped toward it but looked back toward the slope.

"Where did Sheik go?" Zelda asked.

"I don't know," Impa said, looking around. "I didn't see him leave."

"Neither did I," Lana replied, and followed Zelda and Impa into the circle of light.

###

Back in the graveyard, the three women discovered that Skull Kid was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, it's no wonder Sheik was able to follow us into the Sacred Spring," Zelda said. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted him to keep watch."

"But at least he told us where the Bassoon of the South was," Impa said.

"Yes, but the fact that he's gone is troubling," Lana responded looking worried.

To be continued…


	31. Chapter 31: Zora Palace

Chapter 31: Zora Palace

Based on what Eldin said, Zelda figured that the second Wind Instrument resided somewhere in the Zora District. So they got there using what remained of the Skyloft Rails, though they were quickly falling apart due to the various bombings and attacks on all the Districts. Using the Infinity Gauntlet, Zelda was able to create Punctures that brought in new Skyloft Rails to replace the missing ones. Then once they had reached the Zora District, they found Sunrise Bay swarming with Zoras.

None of the women made a sound, but then some of the Zora spotted them and threw their tridents into the air. The three managed to dodge them for the most part, but when they landed the Zoras surrounded them. So Zelda raised her hands up in surrender, followed by Impa and Lana. The head Zora warrior, who looked a lot like Raoole except that he wore a cloth covering the lower-half of his face and his chest-plate seemed slightly bulgy, stepped forward.

"What are you doing in our territory?" The Zora asked.

Lana cleared her throat. "Um, there's a big difference between territories and districts."

"Shut up!" shouted the lead Zora, poking Lana's neck with the tip of his trident. "Or I'll kill you where you stand."

"We're not your enemies," Zelda said. "It's Midna who you should be more concerned with."

"You dare insult the leader of the Twilight Wolves?" The Zora turned his attention to Zelda. "Are you a spy for Ganon?"

"No, far from it," Zelda responded shaking her head. "Look, if you continue on this path, the whole city will be engulfed by the Twilight Realm."

"Lies!" The Zora exclaimed. "Take them to the Zora Palace and have them locked up. Then we'll decide what to do with them once Lord Raoole comes back."

"Right away, General Rubi," said the second Zora.

Then with that, Zelda and the others were dragged into the ocean while the head Zora, Rubi, watched them. They were all equipped with Zora armor and then they took the plunge. Swimming toward the bottom of the ocean, the three soon spotted a castle carved from shiny rocks that glistened like pearls with a golden gate and two Zora guards standing watch. They let the prisoners pass and after navigating a series of alabaster corridors filled with gawking Zoras both male and female, they came to a dungeon that was located in an underground air-pocket and practically empty. Each woman was stripped of her personal belongings and thrown into a jail cell.

"This is just great," Zelda muttered. "I come here because of a riddle that a stupid bird gave me, and we're immediately thrown in jail."

"There's no point in beating yourself up," Impa said calmly. "We will explain ourselves to the leader of this district and try to convince him that we are not spies."

"Let's hope so," Lana responded.

Several minutes passed, and then General Rubi showed up along with the Zora who was beside her. They took the three women forcefully out of the jail-cells and back into the water. They swam through several more corridors until they surfaced into the throne-room which was a chair carved from rock hovering on a permanent waterspout with similar seats taken by other members of the Zora council above a shimmering pool. The three were placed on a floating sea-shell that was the size of a large boulder and they stared up at the tallest chair which was occupied by a Zora whom Zelda recognized as Raoole. His eyes were bitter and he wore regal robes.

"State your names and your reason for being here," Raoole demanded.

"I'm Zelda, former Heir to Mayor Ganon," Zelda answered and gestured to the others. "These are my companions Impa and Lana. We've come here in search of a legendary Wind Instrument that is said to reside in this District."

Raoole flinched. "Who told you this?"

"Eldin, the Light Spirit who rests in the Sheikah District," Zelda said firmly.

"Why do you wish to find this Wind Instrument?" Raoole asked.

"To push back the Twilight that is encompassing this land as we speak."

"Impossible! The leader of the Twilight Wolves said no such thing would occur once she deposes of Mayor Ganon."

"She told me herself that she is planning to cover Skyloft in Twilight and then the world after that."

Raoole's fist slammed against the chair. "How could you have met Midna in person if you're the Heir to Ganon?"

"I'm not anymore. I escaped from the Goddess Statue and overheard her speaking this plan to someone else."

"Is this true?" Raoole asked Impa and Lana.

"Yes," Impa said, catching Zelda's glance.

While Lana nodded in agreement, Raoole leaned back in his chair. "There is something you are not telling me. What is it?"

"You wouldn't understand a word of it, even if I told you," Zelda said defensively.

"If you refuse to tell me, then I'll have no choice but to execute you as spies for Ganon," Raoole said taking a small fish in his hand and crushing it.

While Lana gulped, Zelda calmly answered, "While I may be Zelda, I'm not from this reality. So what I mean is that I'm from another place that is like here, but it exists somewhere else. Where I'm from, there is another Midna and a Hero of Infinite Possibilities who isn't dead—

"What are you talking about?" Raoole interrupted. "I knew the Hero of Infinite Possibilities, and he's dead! That's a fact! Take them back to their cells! The council and I need to decide what to do with them."

Rubi nodded and escorted Zelda and the others back the way they came.

###

"Are you sure it was wise to tell him the truth, Zelda?" Impa asked once they were back in the jail-cells.

"What was I supposed to tell him?" Zelda snapped. "He threatened to execute us!"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," Lana said, lying on a pile of dried seaweed that passed for a bed. "What we need is a miracle from the Goddesses to get out of this mess."

"Or a good pickpocket," said a familiar voice that appeared out of the shadows.

"Sheik!" Lana exclaimed, and looked past him. "What did you do to the guards?"

"I knocked them out with a couple of Sleep Arrows," Sheik said, holding up a Crossbow that looked just like the one Zelda had. Then he held up a ring of golden keys and said, "Now let's get you ladies out of those cells."

Once they were freed, Sheik handed them all their stuff that was taken, including Zelda's satchel and Talon Clasp.

"Um, I think that Crossbow of yours belongs to me," Zelda said.

"No, yours is still in your satchel," Sheik said protectively. "But it does look like mine."

Irked, Zelda checked her satchel and sure enough her Crossbow was inside.

They followed Sheik into the water in their Zora armor through a secret underwater tunnel that was located beneath the jail cells which led them outside the Zora Palace which sparkled in the moonlight that was filtering down through the water.

To be continued…


	32. Chapter 32: Underwater Grotto

**Sorry for the long absence, guys! I** **'** **ve been fighting a cold since last week, but I** **'** **m better now and will be posting more chapters soon!**

Chapter 32: Underwater Grotto

Sheik led Zelda and the others further out into the artificial sea until they came to an underwater cave that led them into an underground cavern that was filled with water that was boiling hot. The Zora Armor everyone wore started steaming and becoming increasingly uncomfortable, which forced them to surface. They found a large flat rock in the center of the cavern that was hovering on top of a vent of hot water and swam onto it.

"This is the Underwater Grotto, a sacred place where the Zora People come to worship a giant worm-like creature called Tubula," Sheik said while he and the others removed their Zora Armor. "It is also the place where the second Wind Instrument is kept."

"Okay, but why is it so hot in here?" Zelda asked, noticing that parts of her normally pale skin had turned lobster red.

"I'm not sure," Sheik replied. "The water's normally the same temperature as it is outside. I'll go on ahead and see if I can find anything."

So Sheik leapt from the rock they were standing on to a nearby one which in turn led to a series of similar floating rocks and then into a dark cave that was lit by two torches. The women sat on the rock and waited for several minutes, but Sheik didn't appear. So they kept waiting until an hour later when Zelda stood up and said, "I think we should go look for Sheik."

"Yeah," Lana agreed. "He should've come back a while ago."

"But he's the only one who clearly knows this place more than we do," Impa said and turned to Lana. "Unless you'd like to share something with us, Lana."

Lana huffed. "Just because I'm a sorceress doesn't mean I know everything."

"It doesn't matter," Zelda said, hopping to the same rock that Sheik leapt onto. "Sheik got us here, and the least we can do is make sure nothing bad happened to him."

By the time Impa and Lana followed her, Zelda was already at the entrance to the cave. The three of them stepped inside and found a tunnel with hot steam flaring up from cracks in the floor. Using the Kokiri Fan, Zelda sealed the vents off with sheets of ice making the tunnel easier to walk through. At the end of the tunnel they came to a wooden door which led into a cave that was steaming hot to the point where drops of moisture fell. There was a hole in the middle of the cave with stone steps leading down deeper and jellyfish-looking creatures with electrical sparks flying from them hovered over it.

"Biri!" Lana exclaimed. "I didn't know they lived this far down in the artificial ocean."

"Or something attracted them here," Zelda suggested.

While Zelda used the Kokiri Fan to blow incoming Biri away, Impa and Lana made their way down the steps. Zelda was about to join them when a Biri suddenly zapped her from behind. It caused Zelda to fall down the hole but fortunately she used the Wind Parasol to lighten her fall.

"Well," Impa said, standing in a kneeling position with her arms held out. "It seems I didn't need to catch you, after all."

Standing back up, Impa followed Zelda who caught up to Lana who was examining a door with a silver lock on it.

"Hey, Lana," Zelda said.

"Yes, what is it?" Lana asked, looking around for another passageway.

"In my reality, I…saw what Priestess Cia looked like, under the mask," Zelda said sheepishly, then she looked Lana sternly in the eyes. "She had your face. Is there something you've been keeping from me this whole time?"

Lana's eyes drifted down and she said, "There's a strange pattern on this floor, so you might want to watch your step."

"You didn't answer my question," Zelda said as she stepped on a tile with a wave pattern on it.

This caused Zelda's foot to sink low which caused all the tiles with the wave pattern to fly off as jets of steam escaped from them. To avoid getting burned, Zelda and the others avoided the jets and made their way into an adjacent hallway from the door with the silver lock. Here, there were several Biri floating above as steam came down from above every few seconds. After defeating all the Biri in the room, Zelda found a small chest at the end of the hallway with a silver key in it. They went back and unlocked the door, which led into another room where the steam came from the sides.

Avoiding them, they came to a large chest that was guarded by an Octorok inside a small pool.

Using the Sheikah Silencer, Zelda took out the Octorok in two shots which allowed her to open the chest. Inside was a large bellow made of white sealskin adorned with blue gems and bone-like handles.

"By the Goddesses," Lana said, examining the bellow. "This is the Bellow of Frost. Supposedly, it has the ability to freeze anything in its path."

"I see," Zelda said and pointed the bellow at the steam vents.

Pressing the two handles together, a blast of icy air escaped from the bellow and froze all the steam vents mid-spurt. Walking around them, the three women left the room and Zelda used the same trick on the steam vents coming from the floor tiles. This caused the rest of the tiles to sink revealing a hidden passage underneath. Unfortunately, the whole passage was filled with steam but then once Zelda used the Bellow of Frost the passage became an icy tunnel. Walking steadily along it, they found a fork in the passage with one door that required a silver key while the other curved downward. So the three went down the second path and found themselves having to dodge jets of steam coming from below their feet, so Zelda froze them with the Bellow of Frost which caused them to slide down to the bottom of the passage.

To be continued…


	33. Chapter 33: Aquatic Worm Tubula

Chapter 33: Aquatic Worm Tubula

At the bottom of the passageway, Zelda Impa and Lana found themselves in a circular room with three passages leading off in different directions and several ChuChus lurking on the floor while more Biri floated above. While Lana used her magic to take care of the ChuChus and Biri, Impa and Zelda decided to split up into two of the three passages. The one Zelda went into turned out to be a dead-end, but then a massive cloud of steam burst forth from a hidden vent. Outrunning it, Zelda managed to make it back into the main room where Lana had defeated most of the creatures revealing a large golden chest. Meanwhile, Impa came out of the second passage with a silver key in hand. Zelda then opened up the golden chest and produced a large gold key.

After an uneasy climb back up to the original fork, Zelda unlocked the second door with the silver lock and stood before a large hole with steam constantly billowing upward. On the other side there was a dark hallway. Before anyone could object, Zelda leaped over the hole before the next burst of steam came up. Next, Zelda took out her lantern and lit it with one of the few matches she had left. There was a shriek at the other end of the dark hallway, and then a gigantic spider-like creature crawled forward that was bright orange with fiery red eyes and sharp feet.

"It's Spyre!" Lana exclaimed. "Wasn't he killed off long ago?"

"It seems he survived," Impa said and leaped over to join Zelda.

"I've got this, Impa," Zelda said and held up the Bellow of Frost. "I know just what to do."

Before the giant spider could attack, Zelda used the Bellow of Frost to blow cold air onto the creature which froze him in place. While this happened, Impa used brute force to hit Spyre while Zelda fired several rounds with the Sheikah Silencer. Unfortunately, Spyre used a fire that spewed from its mouth to melt the ice and attack the two once more. So they went underneath its legs and faced its rear. As it turned, Zelda used the Bellow of Frost on Spyre again while Impa continued to hit it with brute force. When it melted the ice this time, Spyre curled itself up and rolled toward Impa and Zelda. The two ran to the end of the dark hallway, but upon discovering a dead-end they got out of the way as Spyre rolled into the wall and collapsed onto its back. While its legs were flailing in the air, Zelda used the last of the Sheikah Silencer bullets on it which caused it to stop twitching and vanish. At the dead-end there was a door with a golden lock on it.

Once Lana had jumped over, they used the golden key to unlock the door which in turn led to an open pool that was steaming hot with stone piers all along it. But upon approaching the pool, something emerged from it. The thing resembled a worm, but with three heads that were bright red and there was no tail end. There were black stripes along its three necks and its lip-like mouths were swollen. It turned each of its heads toward the three women and then a fourth head popped up out of the water, carrying an unconscious Sheik in its mouth. As it plopped Sheik's body onto the ground before the women, the other three heads let out clouds of billowing smoke from their mouths. While the three women ducked, the smoke left intense burn marks on the stone walls.

"What is that?" Impa wondered out loud.

"Volcanic smoke," Zelda answered.

"That's correct," Lana said. "Tubula is known for its fiery breath, but its fire resembles the kind that comes from volcanoes and not burning hearths."

"So how do we beat it?" Impa asked as she and the others dodged Tubula's smoke blasts.

"With this and a little teamwork," Zelda said pulling out the Bellow of Frost.

As Impa and Lana kept two of the heads busy, Zelda froze one head with the Bellow of Frost and used her Wind Parasol like a bat and pummeled the head till it sank below the pool's surface. With this strategy, the three women were able to defeat the three prominent heads that billowed smoke until the fourth head reared up and out of the pool making it difficult for Zelda to hit the thing accurately with the Bellow of Frost.

"What should I do?" Zelda asked nervously, becoming increasingly frustrated.

"Freeze the pool when the head pops up," Lana suggested. "Then let's all attack it together."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Impa said, cracking her knuckles.

So Zelda froze the pool's surface with the Bellow of Frost, causing the fourth head to wiggle in place unable to retreat back into the water. Lana cast fire spells upon it while Impa bashed its neck several times with her fist and then Zelda delivered a finishing blow with her Wind Parasol by bringing it down on top of Tubula's head. This caused it to faint and plop down on the pool's surface where it coughed up a Shadow Crystal. Seeing it, Lana immediately levitated the crystal toward her as Tubula's head retracted through the hole in the icy pool. Then to the women's amazement, the ice melted on its own, the steam in the room evaporated, and a fountain appeared that was shaped like Tubula with an oboe made from black wood with metallic keys that shimmered like water carved into its mid-drift.

"The Oboe of the East," Lana said with amazement as the instrument emerged from the fountain carving and floated into Zelda's hands. "Legend says that a Zora with musical talent carved it from petrified wood near the shore, but little did he know that the wood had magical properties and thus the oboe had the power to enchant every creature that heard its music. Unfortunately, the magic seemed to die when the Zora died of old age."

"Well, let's hope that it still works," Zelda said. "But what song should I play to summon the Light Spirit?"

"The Reverie…of the Sea Breeze," Sheik said, regaining consciousness.

To be continued…


	34. Chapter 34: Hylian Park

Chapter 34: Hylian Park

Once Sheik was back on his feet, he took out his harp and played the Reverie of the Sea Breeze melody for Zelda. Then once Zelda played it, there was a bright flash and a snake-like creature appeared with golden swirls along its back and a glowing mouth.

" _Who hath summoned Lanaryu, the Spirit of Light that slumbers in the Zora District?_ " asked the giant snake turning to Zelda. " _Were you the one who played the Reverie of the Sea Breeze?_ "

"I did," Zelda nodded.

The snake Lanaryu glanced briefly at Sheik and said, " _What does thou wish to ask of me?_ "

"There is a great darkness that threatens to encompass the land, and it comes from Midna, the leader of the Twilis," Zelda explained. "She is using the Fused Shadow to cover Skyloft in Twilight and then the world after that."

" _And you wish me to banish the encroaching darkness from whence it came, correct?_ "

"Yes, though I heard from Eldin that the other Light Spirits needed to be awakened as well."

" _Unfortunately, yes, because we have slumbered for so long that our power has diminished significantly. But do not worry. Once we have gained our full strength, we shall do what you ask. Now go to the West and you will find my brother Ordona beneath a hill somewhere in the iron forest._ "

Then with that, Lanaryu vanished. Lana then cast a spell that caused Sheik's injuries to be healed and then the four were transported back to the entrance of the Underwater Grotto. Testing the water, they found the water to be cool again and so donned their Zora Armor and swam out. Unfortunately, on the other side of the tunnel they were confronted by a large army of Zora warriors led by Rubi and Raoole.

"You thought you could escape me," Raoole said bitterly. "But I knew where you were going, and so if you wish to avoid death then you must hand over the sacred instrument and come with us quietly."

"But you don't understand," Zelda said. "We're trying to save you all. I know you're a member of the Twilight Wolves, Raoole, but—

"Address him as King Raoole, wench!" Rubi snapped.

"Don't you dare address the former Mayor's daughter as a wench!" Impa said, reaching for a hidden blade.

"No, Impa," Zelda responded, staying Impa's hand. Then she looked at Raoole once more. "Your father didn't recover from his encounter with the Fused Shadow fragment, didn't he?"

Raoole's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Something similar happened…where I come from," Zelda said awkwardly. "But I never saw if your father lived or died, but judging by your bitterness and you being addressed as 'King,' I gather that he died in this reality. Regardless, were you aware that Tubula was poisoned by a Shadow Crystal?"

"No," Raoole said, shaking his head. "But I knew Midna said she was going to send someone down to the Underwater Grotto to make sure that her plan wasn't ruined."

"Here's the proof," Lana said, pulling out her book which held the two Shadow Crystals inside. "Tubula coughed it out after we defeated her, and the other was swallowed by Tetrylobyte, the guardian of the Sacred Spring in the Sheikah District, before he went berserk forcing us to defeat him and cough it up."

"What are you trying to say?" Raoole asked.

"That Midna probably didn't tell you everything she was planning to do," Zelda answered. "Yes, she wants to liberate Skyloft from the tyranny of Mayor Ganon, but instead of restoring it to a peaceful utopia she instead wants to punish everyone for not doing anything about his rise to power while placing herself in Ganon's position to make this happen. If you don't believe me, look above the water and tell me what you see."

Rubi turned to Raoole and said, "It's a trick, brother."

"I will abide by her request," Raoole said and glared at Zelda. "Only if her and her companions follow me with an armed escort behind them."

"Very well," Zelda said, folding her arms. "It's not like I was planning to run away or anything."

So Raoole, Rubi, Zelda, and her comrades swam to the ocean's surface. There was a dark cloud hanging over the floating islands west of Sunrise Bay where Midna in her giant spider-like form seemed to be chasing after something blue that seemed to be darting in and out.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said a skinny figure who was hovering over the crowd wearing a mask that was heart-shaped with round orange eyes and red spikes along the edges.

"Skull Kid!" Zelda exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to bail you out," Skull Kid said and lifted his hands.

This caused Zelda, Impa, Lana, and Sheik to float above the water. Before the Zora had any chance to throw their tritons, Skull Kid levitated Zelda and the others higher up and then westward toward the floating islands.

"Where are you taking us?" Zelda asked.

"To see the show I've put on," Skull Kid said.

Once they were a few feet from the Waterfall, Zelda and the others saw that the thing Midna was chasing appeared to be a young man who resembled Link but he wore a blue tunic instead of a green one with light gray hair, eyes with no pupils, and he carried a sword with a double-helix shape.

"Is that…the Hero of Infinite Possibilities?" Sheik said with a surprised look.

"Bingo!" Skull Kid said bemusedly.

"But I thought he was dead," Lana responded.

"He was, but I revived him with a special mask from a little shop I know that sells magical masks," Skull Kid said, and pointed to his mask. "I got this from the same store, and it's called Majora's Mask."

"What about the one Link's wearing?" Impa asked.

"It's called the Fierce Deity Mask," Skull Kid said. "It grants its wearer invincibility at the cost of mental instability, so I thought what better way to spend all that energy than on a giant spider woman running loose."

"But that'll mean that Midna might die, right?" Zelda said, looking horrified.

"Depending on how much of a fight she puts up," Skull Kid said and was taken aback by everyone's glares. "Hey, I did you guys a favor here. If Link wasn't distracting Midna right now, the Twilight Realm would've encompassed Skyloft by now."

"But that doesn't give you the right to revive a dead hero and pit him against someone whose intentions were good," Zelda said sharply.

"Though her methods were questionable, yes?" Skull Kid marked. "In fact, she's a lot like Ganon when you think about it."

Zelda sighed. "As much as I'd hate to admit it, she isn't. Ganon wants to rule others for the sake of having power over them, while Midna just wants justice for crimes that have been committed by punishing both parties."

"Then you aren't going to revive the Light Spirits so you can kill her?"

"No, but I will find a way to remove the Fused Shadow from her and the Fierce Deity Mask from Link. Then, I'm going to defeat Ganon with the Light Spirits' aid. He's the real monster here."

"Ah, that may be true, but some monsters are closer than you think."

Skull Kid snapped his finger and caused Zelda to fall along with the others. He laughed as they fell toward the sky between the floating island with the Waterfall and the bridge that connected that island and the Zora District. Fortunately, Zelda was able to use her Talon Clasp to grab a nearby Skyloft Rail and use it to swing southwestward while the others did the same. Disappointed, Skull Kid focused on the Skyloft Rail and broke it in half with a wave of his hand.

Before they completely fell off, Zelda charged the Infinity Gauntlet and opened up a Puncture with another Skyloft Rail on the other side. Using all of her mental concentration, Zelda was able to mentally pull the Skyloft Rail through the Puncture and attach it to the falling one which caused it to straighten out. With the new rail-line, Zelda and the others safely made it into the Kokiri District where they hid beneath the trees while Skull Kid chuckled and flew away.

###

Several hours later, the four made it into the Hylian District just as dawn broke. However, the sun was blocked by the yellow haze of the Twilight Realm. Also, Impa and Lana lost the ability to touch anything that was physical with Zelda being an exception. But then to Zelda's surprise, Sheik didn't seem to be affected by the Twilight Realm either as he was able to touch physical objects as easily as Zelda could.

Just as Zelda was pondering over this, she saw two familiar faces walking the street nearby.

"Professor Phosile! Tera!" Zelda cried, running toward them. "Thank goodness you're okay! I guess you managed to talk your way out of getting arrested, then?"

Professor Phosile blinked in surprise and said, "What are you talking about? My wife and I have a perfectly clean record! We've never been arrested in our lives!"

"Are you some kind of beggar?" Tera said nervously. "If its money you want, you won't get any by making wild accusations about us."

"No, I'm not begging," Zelda said. "I was just wondering if you could help me."

"With what?" Phosile asked. "We haven't got all day!"

"I'm looking for a hill," Zelda said plainly. "Do you know if there's one in the Hylian District?"

"Of course there is! Farore Hill which rests at the heart of the Hylian Park," Phosile said bluntly. "You know where that is, right?"

"I think so, but remind me."

"Take a left on Market Street, past the Hylian University, right on Shop Lane, and the Hylian Park is there," Phosile said and turned to leave. "Now I really must be going. My wife and I are late to our appointment with Mister Ghirahim as it is."

Upon hearing that name, Zelda cringed as Professor Phosile and Tera left.

"Didn't you know that they were good friends with Ganon's chief advisor?" Sheik said.

"Of course not! Where I come from, they weren't on good terms with Ganon and I don't think they ever met Ghirahim," Zelda replied.

To be continued…


	35. Chapter 35: Farore Hill

Chapter 35: Farore Hill

Following Professor Phosile's directions, Zelda and the others came to the hill he described. It was a fairly small but round hill with a crown of trees on top and green grass grew all around.

"If Lanaryu was referring to the Hylian District as the 'iron forest,' than this must be the hill he was referring to," Zelda said thoughtfully.

"So where's the Light Spirit, then? Or the Wind Instrument needed to summon him?" Impa asked out loud.

"The Wind Instrument is inside the hill," Sheik said, wandering to the other side of the hill. "You just need to know where the entrance is."

Following Sheik, the three woman came to a patch of grass that was greener than the rest and it formed the Triforce symbol.

"This is the only way in," Sheik said. "Though it's typically sealed to keep people out."

But when Sheik pressed his hand against the patch, it swung inward revealing a stone stairway that led downward.

"One of the Twilight Wolves must've been here," Lana said. "And so the seal on the door is broken, along with any others that might be down there."

"There's only one way to find out," Zelda said and lit the lantern she carried in her satchel.

The four made their way down the stairs and into a circular room lit by torches. There were no apparent paths available and a single Beamos stood in the middle of the room. It opened its single eye and fired a laser that followed everyone's movements. While the others kept the Beamos distracted, Zelda used two of the Bombs she had taken from Gorko Temple in the Goron District and used them to blow the Beamos up. Once this was accomplished, a large chest appeared in its place. Opening it, Zelda discovered a small copper shovel with a flower-shaped head and a wooden shaft and handle.

"That's the Copper Ore Shovel," Lana explained. "It can dig up to 10 feet of dirt and break through solid wood."

With the shovel equipped, Zelda used it to dig several holes until she found a hidden switch which she stepped on that in turn opened a hidden door to the right. Through it, Zelda and the others found a wall made from planks of wood blocking their path. Using the shovel, Zelda was able to break the wall in half only to meet a Deku Baba on the other side. After defeating it, there was another wooden wall which Zelda broke as well only to find another Deku Baba. This continued several times until they came to a door with a silver lock. Going back into the main room, Zelda dug more holes until she found another switch which unlocked another hidden passage. Here, Zelda and the others found a room that was filled with Armos that resembled statues and moved toward them wherever they stepped.

Using the Bellow of Frost to freeze them in place, Zelda was able to defeat any Armos that came her way. Meanwhile, Lana used fire spells to blast them away and Impa simply punched them. Sheik, on the other hand, threw Deku Nuts at incoming Armos which exploded upon hitting the ground. Once they were all defeated, another large chest appeared. Inside, Zelda found another shovel that looked like the Copper Ore Shovel only it was silver with a slightly longer shaft.

"The Silver Ore Shovel," Lana said, examining it. "Unlike the Copper one, it can dig 50 feet and break metal."

"Neat," Zelda said, and dug holes around the room till she found a small chest with a silver key.

Back in the passage with the Deku Babas, Zelda unlocked the door which led to another stairway that took them deeper underground and the torches became scarcer.

"Whoever set up these torches must've not liked it down here," Impa said.

"Not necessarily," Lana noted, examining an empty torch next to a lit one. "Some of these torches have been stuffed out, so I think someone deliberately sabotaged us."

"Maybe the same member of the Twilight Wolves that was down here?" Zelda suggested.

"Most likely," Sheik nodded. "Maybe something will happen once we light up all the torches."

"The air's cold enough, so the Kokiri Fan should work," Zelda said and took it out.

Once all the torches on the second stairway were lit, the metal bars came off the door at the bottom of the stairway allowing Zelda and the others to step into another room with two Beamos inside. After defeating them, a third large chest appeared. Inside, there was another shovel that was gold-colored with a longer shaft.

"Oh, my," Lana exclaimed. "This is the Gold Ore Shovel. It's capable of digging 100 feet deep and breaking through just about anything."

With the Gold Ore Shovel, Zelda dug a really deep hole that led into another passage. There were several Blade Traps crisscrossing from adjacent holes. Avoiding them, the four came to another door with a silver lock. Backtracking, Zelda and the others went to where the self-made hole ended and found a wall made of solid iron. Using the Gold Ore Shovel to break it, they found themselves in a room with a small chest and Keese flying down from the ceiling. After taking the silver key from the small chest, the four went back to the silver locked door and found another flight of stairs only they were gold in color and appeared to be sticky.

"Smells like honey," Impa noted as her nose twitched.

"We must be close to the guardian of this place, who's said to be a giant queen bee with smaller ones working for her," Sheik said looking around at the honey-comb shaped walls. "But I don't see any worker bees."

"Something must've scared them off," Zelda suggested then she heard a buzzing noise from above. "What is that?"

"One of the worker bees?" Lana thought out loud.

"Worse," Sheik said, pointing to the ceiling of the stairway where a giant wasp-like creature was crouched with giant pincers, a large stinger, and bright red eyes. "Its Sapper, the Subterranean Wasp."

"What could he be doing down here?" Impa said, pulling out two crossbows that were attached to leather braces on her arms. "I thought the guardian of this place took care of him long ago."

"I don't know," Lana said, opening a page in her spell-book and producing a flame-thrower. "But we should probably kill him for good."

To be continued…


	36. Chapter 36: Queen Bee Waxina

Chapter 36: Queen Bee Waxina

After defeating Sapper, Zelda and the others saw a golden chest appear inside one of the open honeycombs. In the chest there was a golden key, which unlocked the door at the bottom of the stairs which had a gold lock on it. On the other side was a large room with a cone-shaped hive where several bees the size of dogs seemed to be resting. Then when Zelda and the others stepped closer, the bees woke up and buzzed around the air as the hive opened like the petals of a flower to reveal a colossal bee with a heart-shaped chest, shiny black eyes, and giant gossamer wings.

"That must be the Queen Bee, Waxina," Sheik said. "She's a lot bigger than I imagined."

"Either she's been eating too much honey, or something has caused her to swell tremendously," Lana suggested, summoning a wooden spear from her book.

The giant bee's antennae twitched and she looked down at the group. As she roared at them, gobs of green slime spat from her mouth that caused the ground to singe. Then she emitted a low humming noise that caused the other bees to fly out of their honeycombs and down toward Zelda and the others.

Fighting them off as best they could, Zelda noticed that the bees only swarmed around her but they never once tried to use their stingers.

"They don't want to hurt us," Zelda said before Lana could cast a fire spell on the bees. "But they're being controlled by the queen so they have no choice but to attack us."

"Then we'd better stop the queen before they sting us for real," Sheik replied and fired several needles at Waxina from his hands.

They bounced off Waxina's abdomen, but they distracted her long enough to allow Zelda to fire several Blast Arrows from her Crossbow. Impa aided her by doing the same with her strapped-on Crossbows, and then Lana summoned a bolt of lightning that struck Waxina from above. This in turn caused the worker bees to fly around frantically, and then when the queen recovered they resumed their attacks. So Lana conjured a light barrier that kept the bees from getting close allowing Zelda and Impa to continue firing arrows at Waxina while Sheik played a song on his harp that kept the light barrier strong.

Upon injuring Waxina a second time, she emerged from the honeycomb's center and hovered in the air while spitting the same burning green slime at Zelda and the others. So they were forced to move around which in turn caused them to be attacked by the worker bees which were still under Waxina's control. Then in a surprise maneuver, Sheik pulled a chain from his wrist and used to tether Waxina. Unfortunately, the Queen Bee was too strong despite her enormous weight and so Sheik found himself being dragged along while being constantly attacked by the worker bees.

To aid him, Impa shot the bees down with Sleep Arrows with one hand while using the other to keep Sheik from being dragged by Waxina. Then Zelda used the Bellow of Frost to freeze Waxina in place, causing her to fall onto the ground, and after Lana used another bolt of lightning Waxina broke free from the ice. She uttered one final roar and then dropped on her side spitting something out in the process. As everyone guessed, it was another Shadow Crystal which Lana placed inside her book with the other two. The bees continued to fly around in confusion as something emerged at the center of the honeycomb.

Climbing into it, Zelda discovered a stand made of honey holding a clarinet made of honey-colored wood and golden keys.

"The third Wind Instrument," Zelda said, taking the clarinet from its stand. Then she turned to Sheik. "What is this one called?"

"The Clarinet of the West," Sheik answered. "It was made by a Goron who had come to the Hylian University to study music. He claimed the clarinet was magical, but the scholars at the university didn't believe him. So he played it at a concert, and though witnesses claimed they saw unbelievable things the scholars dismissed the so-called magic as parlor tricks and forced him to leave. He went back to the Goron District heartbroken, but was revered by a Hylian colleague of his who inherited the clarinet after the Goron had passed away."

"Such sad tales seem to revolve around these instruments," Zelda noted, looking down at the clarinet. "And yet they're the only things that can summon the Light Spirits, who are the only things that can stop Midna from doing more harm than good to the world. What's the song I need to play, Sheik?"

"The Capriccio of the Mountain Gale," Sheik said and played a lively but intense melody.

Zelda followed Sheik's example, there was a flash of light, and a goat-like creature appeared waving a wolf's tail and carrying a glowing orb in two horns that formed a halo above its head.

" _I am Ordona, the Spirit of Light that protects the Hylian District,_ " the creature announced then it looked at Zelda. " _Were you the one who summoned me?_ "

"Yes," Zelda nodded. "There is a great darkness that threatens to engulf Skyloft and the world, and we need you to stop it."

" _Is it the Twilight Realm?_ " asked Ordona.

Again, Zelda nodded. "The one who is spreading it is Midna, the leader of the Twili people, with the aid of the Fused Shadow."

" _Fused Shadow?_ " Ordona's brow furrowed. " _How did Midna obtain such a thing, if she cannot leave the premises of the Twili District?_ "

"I gave it to her," Zelda admitted. "You see, I come from another reality that is similar to this one and I had the Fused Shadow with me. She threatened to kill a group of Hylians, and so I offered the Fused Shadow in exchange for their safety."

Ordona stared at Zelda for a long time and then it said, " _Why did you have the Fused Shadow and how are you not affected by its corrosive power?_ "

"Because the Midna from my reality wanted the Fused Shadow to overthrow Ganon, just like the one here, and for some reason the Fused Shadow fragments had no effect on me. I can't explain it, Ordona, but it's the truth."

" _Hmm,_ " Ordona said, and then he lay down. " _Have you awakened my brothers?_ "

"We found Eldin and Lanaryu, and now you," Zelda answered. "But we don't know where the fourth one is or the Wind Instrument to summon him."

" _Then I shall tell you,_ " Ordona replied as he started to vanish. " _In a swamp to the North there is a vault under a palace of wood. Go there and you will find the Wind Instrument that you seek._ "

To be continued…


	37. Chapter 37: Kouri's Potion Shop

Chapter 37: Kouri's Potion Shop

Upon being transported back to the outside of the hidden door on Farore Hill, Zelda and the others were surprised to see a bunch of Clockwork Policemen circling the premises. Though the four attempted to sneak away, the Clockwork Policemen's heads turned and they extended their claw-like arms out. Wrapping them around the three women and Sheik, the Clockwork Policemen held Zelda and the others in place as a familiar figure stepped forward.

"Ghirahim," Zelda growled seeing the albino man wearing the same white suit and red cape he always wore for as long as she had known him.

"Well, if it isn't Zelda, the fugitive heir," Ghirahim smirked. Then he noticed Impa and Lana. "And what do we have here? I thought I'd never see you two again."

"Neither did we of you," Impa said, glaring at Ghirahim. "Still kissing Ganon's behind?"

"My, my, Impa," Ghirahim said coyly. "I see spending seven years down in the world below has lessened your manners."

"Not in the slightest," Lana spoke up. "She's just stating what's true."

"Oh?" Ghirahim turned to face Lana and said, "Then have you told Zelda all about your connection with Cia?"

Lana said nothing in response.

Ghirahim chuckled and walked over to Zelda. "You see, my dear, your friend Lana and our beloved priestess Cia were once a single person until one fateful night caused her to split into two people."

"You're lying," Zelda said doubtfully.

"Am I?" Ghirahim looked at Lana. "Then why don't you tell us the whole story?"

Before Lana could speak, there was an explosion to her right and a large cloud of smoke followed. In the confusion, the Clockwork Policemen's arms were cut off by a sharp blade and then Zelda felt someone pushing her toward the hill. Taking the hint, Zelda ran up the hill until she reached the top where the trees were the thickest. She saw Lana and Impa being ushered as well and then Sheik brought up the rear.

"Thanks, Sheik," Zelda said.

"No problem," Sheik answered then he asked, "Lana, have you got any warping spells?"

"Yes, I think so," Lana said and flipped through pages of her book. "But I need a specific location to warp to."

"Deku Swamp," Zelda abruptly said. "That's the place Ordona was talking about."

"Very well," Lana replied and raised her hand in the air.

Rings of letters written in Hylian and clockwork gears appeared around the four as a bright purple light engulfed them. Then when it had subsided, the four found themselves standing inside a wooden shack filled with different-colored bottles on various shelves while a counter stood in front. A single lantern was lit and a cauldron bubbled near the back, but there was no one inside.

"Where are we?" Zelda asked.

"Some kind of shop, I'm guessing," Sheik said taking a bottle from one of the shelves. "This looks like a potion."

"That's because it is."

The four turned and saw an old woman with greenish skin and white hair standing in the doorway. A blue gem gleamed from her forehead as she examined everyone in the room suspiciously.

"You weren't trying to steal anything, were you?" the old woman asked cautiously.

"No, ma'am," Zelda said shaking her head.

"Then you must be tourists," the old woman said and got behind the counter. "My name is Kouri, and welcome to my shop. Here we sell a variety of Potions and a small selection of Twili Pills for reasonable prices ranging from 10 to 60 Rupees. So what'll you buy?"

"Actually, we didn't come here to buy anything," Zelda admitted. "We're looking for something important and we think it might be in a vault underneath some kind of palace in this district."

"Oh," Kouri said, sounding disappointed. "The only palace I know around here is the Deku Palace, and I think there's a vault underneath it but I'm not sure."

"Do you know how we can get there?" Zelda asked urgently.

"You'll have to talk to my sister Kasai about it," Kouri answered. "She runs a series of boat-tours from six in the morning to six in the evening, but you'll have to hurry if you want to make the last tour which starts in a few minutes."

"Where can we find her?"

"Head across the bridge from here, and around the bend you'll see a dock with a Skyloft Rail station next to it. She's usually there along with Leafi, our Deku Scrub tour-guide."

"Thank you, Kouri."

"Come back if you want to buy something."

Outside the shack, there was a circular platform with a flight of stairs leading down to the little island the shop was suspended over which was surrounded by purple-colored water that had a rotten stench with a wooden bridge that led over to the other side where a grassy cliff with a bend was situated. The sky was dark with a yellow tinge to it and there were black squares suspended in midair.

"This place has already been taken over by the Twilight Realm," Zelda said. "So that means everyone here's a spirit now, including you guys."

"Except for Sheik," Lana said, watching as her hand passed through Sheik's arm. "He doesn't seem to be affected by the Twilight Realm in the slightest."

"I wonder why that is," Impa said folding her arms. "The only other person who isn't affected is Zelda, and even she cannot explain why that is."

"There was this Triforce symbol that appeared on my hand when I first entered the Twili District with Link," Zelda suggested, looking at her bare hand. "Maybe there's some kind of connection between it and my immunity."

"Perhaps," Lana said. "What do you think, Sheik?"

"I'm not too concerned about this," Sheik said shrugging. "We should really concentrate on getting to the Deku Palace. I think we'll find the vault we're looking for there."

Taking Sheik's advice, the four walked quickly across the bridge, around the bend and onto the dock where the paddleboat was located. There was a group of people already onboard and a small Deku Scrub stood on a barrel with a microphone before him. At the front of the boat there was an old lady who looked exactly like Kouri except that her jewel was red.

"Excuse me, Miss Kasai," Zelda said politely. "Could we get a ride to the Deku Palace?"

"Certainly," the old lady said. "It's 20 Rupees per person."

"I'll pay," Lana said and pulled four Red Rupees from a hidden pouch.

Kasai took them gladly and pulled a lever. This lowered a small stepladder which allowed Zelda and the others to get onto the boat. Then with that, Kasai retracted the stepladder and steered the boat away from the dock.

To be continued…


	38. Chapter 38: Deku Palace Vault

Chapter 38: Deku Palace Vault

As the tour boat made its way through the Deku Swamp, Zelda noticed that the cloudy sky overhead was becoming increasingly darker and there were flashes of lightning. This became increasingly worse once the boat reached the Deku Palace which was a situated on an artificial island made of wood with towering walls that were brightly colored with trees along the inside and a towering structure that was shaped like the trunk of a tree. There was a wooden dock for the boat and a bridge leading up to the palace walls where two Deku Scrubs that looked identical to Leafi stood.

"Is it just me, dear, or do the Deku Palace guards look nervous?" asked Prospera as she stood next to Rich.

"I say, you're right," replied Rich and then he signaled to Leafi. "Would you kindly ask your brethren at the door to see if there's anything wrong?"

"What? You think I'm related to those guards?" Leafi said glaring at Rich and Prospera angrily.

"Calm yourself, Leafi," Kasai said soothingly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…this weather…" Leafi said, shivering slightly. "Something about it is making me jumpier than usual."

"Then perhaps you should stay on the boat while I continue the tour," Kasai replied, pulling the level that lowered the stepladder.

"No, no, I can still do it," Leafi insisted. "I'm fine now."

"If you insist," Kasai shrugged.

Following the Deku Scrub, everyone got off the boat and onto the bridge that led to where the two Deku Scrub guards stood. Leafi spoke to them in a language none of the Hylians could understand, and then the two guards used their heads to push the palace doors inward revealing a garden full of trees and flowers. Everyone ambled about the garden for a while until it started to rain forcing them to run into the trunk-shaped structure. Inside, there was a circular room with a large fire-pit in the center and several stone chairs where several tall Deku Scrubs were seated. But there was one who sat above the rest that had a roundish wooden body with a leafy beard and mustache, and he had a round orange bulb growing on top his head.

"Deku Leader," Leafi said bowing. "I bring you tourists from the Hylian District."

The Deku Scrub with the large bulb raised a staff which consisted of a pink flower with a Deku Nut inside it. "You've come at a bad time, Leafi. We were about to hold a trial."

"A trial?" Prospera exclaimed.

"For who, your majesty?" Rich asked.

"This monkey," the Deku Leader said, waving his staff toward a cage with a white monkey sat screeching wildly. "He's been accused of kidnapping my daughter, who has gone missing since this morning."

"But what proof do you have?" Zelda asked, stepping forward. "For all you know, the monkey could be innocent."

"How dare you speak to our leader in that manner!" shouted one of the Deku Scrubs.

"You should be put in a cage yourself!" replied another.

"Are you saying that my judgement of the accused is false?" asked the Deku Leader.

"No," Zelda replied. "I'm just saying there's a possibility that you're mistaken."

The Deku Leader's grassy eyebrows raised slightly. "Then you're saying I'm wrong?"

Zelda shook her head. "Not at all, Deku Leader, but how can you be certain that the monkey is the culprit?"

"He was seen with my servant, Deku Butler, who went off to look for my daughter and hasn't returned since."

"And what makes you think that there's a connection between the monkey being the last thing to see Deku Butler and him kidnapping your daughter?"

The Deku Leader grumbled. "If you think you can prove the monkey is innocent, then find my daughter and bring her back safely. Otherwise, I shall arrest you."

"On what charge?" Impa asked.

"For meddling in affairs that are none of her business!" The Deku Leader snapped. "Now leave before I change my mind."

"Not until I know where the Deku Butler went," Zelda said. "Or at the very least, could you tell me where you last saw him?"

"Near the Deku Shrine," the Deku Leader said reluctantly. "You'll find it west of the palace."

So with that, Zelda, Impa, Lana, and Sheik left while everyone else stayed looking baffled.

###

At the Deku Shrine, which was a dimly lit tunnel leading up to a wall with a Deku Scrub's face on it, Zelda and the others were confronted by a Big Octo blocking the entrance. Together, they defeated him thus causing the wall to suddenly open on its own. On the other side, there was a dark tunnel with no lights inside. Stepping in, the four made their way through the tunnel which sloped in a downward spiral until they came to a flat bottom. Noticing some unlit torches, Zelda used the Kokiri Fan to light them revealing a large rectangular room with several arched pillars and flaming skulls with bat wings flying around.

"Bubbles," Lana noted. "This place is definitely cursed if those things are here."

"Oh, it's much worse than that," said a Deku Scrub with long legs and arms that was lying beside the entrance to the tunnel. He had two small bushes on the sides of his head, a curly green mustache, and a tie made of two leaves.

"Are you the Deku Butler?" Zelda asked, kneeling down in front of the Deku Scrub.

"I am," the Deku Scrub replied before coughing up tree sap from his tube-like mouth.

"He looks hurt," Lana said, noticing several scratches along the Deku Butler's body. "But I'm not sure if my magic can heal Deku Scrubs."

"There is one way," Deku Butler said, pointing to the other side of the room. "Within the Deku Palace Vault there is an underground well filled with water that has strong healing properties. Unfortunately, the creature who guards the well, Raitoad, is very upset and is holding the Deku Princess there against her will."

"So you were there?" Zelda exclaimed.

"Yes, but I barely escaped," replied Deku Butler before he coughed up more tree sap.

"Try not to talk too much," Lana said. "You'll die faster at this rate."

"I realize that…but if you plan to rescue the Princess yourselves, then take this." Deku Butler gave Zelda a map of the vault showing all the various passages and doors. "It'll save you some time wandering around blindly."

Then as the Deku Butler passed out, Lana said, "I'll stay with him. The rest of you go on."

"Not I," Impa said, standing next to Lana. "Someone needs to stand guard while you tend to the Deku Butler's wounds."

"Oh," Lana replied, glancing disappointedly at Sheik.

"Do you want me to stay instead of Impa?" Sheik asked.

"No," Lana said, shaking her head. "You can go with Zelda if you want. She needs protection too, you know."

"I can take care of myself, thank you," Zelda said confidently and walked into the room.

The tile Zelda stood on collapsed and see fell down into a deep hole.

"Zelda!" Sheik cried, and dove in after her.

To be continued…


	39. Chapter 39: Well-Dwelling Frog Raitoad

Chapter 39: Well-Dwelling Frog Raitoad

Both Sheik and Zelda found themselves at the bottom of a dark hole which turned into a passage that lead into the true Deku Palace Vault which was an underground maze filled with Bubbles, ReDeads, and Gibdos. Using the map, the two made their way through the maze fairly unscathed until they came to a door with a silver lock. Using a key they found earlier, the door was unlocked leading to a set of spiraling stairs with false steps. So Zelda used the Bellow of Frost to create an icy slide for her and Sheik.

Once they slid down, they came to a circular room with a wooden statue consisting of frog's feet and a plaque.

"'To Find the Well of Plenty, Make Me Whole,'" Sheik said, reading the plaque out loud. "What does that mean?"

"Finding the missing pieces of the statue, of course," Zelda said.

"But where can we find them?" Sheik asked. "We can't go back up and there aren't any other places to go."

"Maybe they're buried around here, and I have just the thing to find them."

Using the Copper Ore Shovel, Zelda dug a few holes near the statue and came up with two pieces resembling a left leg and a right arm. Once Sheik took them from her, Zelda kept digging but upon not finding anything else she used the Silver Ore Shovel to dig deeper which produced a torso and a right leg. Next, she used the Gold Ore Shovel to find the last two pieces which were a left arm and a head. After putting all these pieces on the statue, they melded together to form a frog statue with a flower on top of its head that suddenly glowed. A single passageway revealed itself in the flower's glow, causing Zelda and Sheik to enter it.

In a small niche, Zelda found another silver key in a small chest. From there, the passage seemed to go on forever until Sheik discovered a hidden door by playing a song on his harp before a wall with the Triforce symbol on it. Behind the door there was a crypt with several ReDeads walking around the parameters and Keese flying down from the ceiling.

"Sheik," Zelda said, using the Kokiri Fan to set the Keese on fire. "That song you just played. What was it?"

"The song has no name," Sheik replied, throwing needles at the incoming ReDeads. "It's just something I was taught from a young age. The person who sang it to me said the song could open hidden passages with the Triforce symbol."

"I see," Zelda replied, looking inside the open caskets. "For some reason, that tune reminded me of a song my nurse Impa sang to me when I was a little girl."

"You mean the one from your reality?"

"Yes, though that seems like an eon ago considering what I've been through lately."

"I can imagine, though I've never been to alternate realities myself."

With all the ReDeads defeated, a large chest appeared in the room. Zelda opened it and fold a wooden pistol filled with Deku Nuts for ammo.

"That's the Deku Pistol," Sheik said. "It can fire Deku Nuts at any target within a range of twelve feet."

"Fascinating," Zelda said putting the Deku Nut Pistol in her satchel. "I never knew the Deku Scrubs had something this advanced lying in their vault."

They went to a door on the other side of the crypt and opened it. There was no light until a pair of gleaming eyes appeared out of the darkness followed by the sound of blades being sharpened.

"It's Mousoleum!" Sheik exclaimed. "He's a giant rat that dwells around graves and hates light so use the Deku Pistol to create flashes."

"Okay," Zelda replied, and fired a Deku Nut at one of the rat's gleaming eyes.

It was immediately blinded and stopped advancing. Sheik used this opportunity to hit the creature multiple times with his short blade which didn't seem to affect it. So Zelda shot another Deku Nut into its other eye which blinded Mousoleum completely. Then Zelda used the Kokiri Fan to set the creature on fire, revealing it to be nothing more than the skeleton of a rat with a glowing heart. Firing the Deku Pistol again, Zelda was able to cause Mousoleum's heart to explode once the Deku Nut lodged itself inside and so the rat keeled over into a pile of motionless bones.

A golden chest appeared, which held a gold key inside it, and so Zelda and Sheik continued down the dark tunnel until they came to a door with a gold lock on it. Unfortunately, there were rows of retractable spikes in their way. So Sheik and Zelda ran quickly across the holes where the spikes emerged from and unlocked the door with the gold lock. Inside there was a giant stone well with a wooden structure around it and a rope which held a small Deku Scrub wearing a dress made of flowers.

"Deku Princess!" Zelda cried, getting the Deku's attention.

The Deku Scrub looked in Zelda's direction and seemed surprised. "Who are you?"

"I'm Zelda, and this is Sheik," Zelda said. "We've come to rescue you."

The Deku Princess cringed. "Where's Deku Butler? He said he'd get my father."

"We found him near the entrance to the Deku Palace Vault. He's badly injured and could die if we don't take a sample of the water from this well to him."

"Then you shouldn't have come," The Deku Princess said. "Now Raito's going to come out and eat you both."

Before Zelda could reply, a rumbling noise erupted from the well. Then a large frog-like head emerged and the creature's enormous eyes blinked before it opened its mouth and released a long blue tongue. Zelda and Sheik avoided it as best they could until Zelda managed to freeze the tongue with the Bellow of Frost. Confused, the creature known as Raitoad crawled further out of the well revealing two slimy arms with webbed feet that had claws on the end of each finger. It tried to grab Sheik and Zelda, but they managed to avoid the arms. While Sheik distracted Raitoad by wrapping a chain around its neck, Zelda used the Deku Pistol to fire several Deku Nuts at six blue stones along its ribcage.

Once they were all destroyed, Raitoad coughed and spat something out before sinking back into the well. A splash of water followed, which in turn produced a small piccolo made of dark wood with light wood keys. Zelda caught it midair while Sheik jumped over the well, cut the rope that bound the Deku Princess, and caught her mid-leap.

"This is the last Wind Instrument?" Zelda remarked, examining the piccolo. "It's quite small."

"Of course it is!" The Deku Princess snapped, releasing herself from Sheik's grasp. "That's the Piccolo of the North, my family's most sacred treasure! It was crafted by my great-grandfather who made it from the tree that later became the Deku Palace. But then he accidentally dropped the piccolo in the well which absorbed the magic within the well's waters and has warded off evil from the Deku Palace until recently."

"I can see that," Zelda said, picking up the Shadow Crystal that Raitoad coughed out nearby. "Are the Dekus affiliated with the Twilight Wolves?"

"Certainly not!" The Deku Princess said folding her flowery sleeves. "Are you a spy for Ganon or something? Because if you are, I won't talk!"

"Then you are affiliated with the Twilight Wolves," Sheik said as his visible eyebrow was raised. "And given how proud your race notoriously is, I'm a little surprised."

"You don't understand what it is like for us!" The Deku Princess huffed. "My family came here thinking it would allow us to expand our territory, but then when we learned that we only had a small area to call our own while having to do stupid tours for visitors from other districts my father became very angry. But he never showed this anger until now and planned to go to war with Ganon himself until he was approached by someone from the Twilight Wolves."

"Did you know this person?" Zelda asked.

"No, he never said his name," replied the Deku Princess. "Wore this strange-looking mask, though, and asked if he could go down into the Deku Palace Vault. When my father asked about this, the stranger said it would benefit my people and nothing else. So then after the storms started happening, I got suspicious and went down here to find out what the stranger did."

"But when you did learn you got captured in the process," Sheik said.

"Don't interrupt me!" The Deku Princess yelled. "But yes, that was what happened."

"Now all we have to do is play the song to summon the Light Spirit," Zelda said placing her hands on the keys. "Do you know what it is, Sheik?"

"It's called the Tarantella of the Marsh," Sheik said and took his harp out.

After playing a very lively tune, Zelda followed Sheik on the piccolo. The two played for a moment, until a flash of light appeared over the well and a glowing monkey appeared with a fiery tail curled around its tiny body holding a glowing orb in its paws.

" _Who has summoned Faron, the Spirit of Light and protector of the Deku District?_ " asked the glowing monkey.

"I have," Zelda answered.

The monkey who called himself Faron looked down at Zelda and said, " _Faron senses there is great darkness in this land, and Faron knows its source is the Twili District. Is it that you wish Faron to banish the darkness away?_ "

"If you can," Zelda said.

" _But Faron must know this: have you awakened Faron's brothers Eldin, Lanaryu, and Ordona?_ "

"Yes, they've all been awakened and are gathering their strength."

" _Very good,_ " Faron lowered his head. " _Now go to the Goddess Statue and summon us all with the Ballad of the Goddess._ "

"Wait, what?" Zelda attempted to approach Faron, but he disappeared in a flash before a circle of light appeared at the foot of the well. "The Ballad of the Goddess? Do you know what Faron's talking about, Sheik?"

"I think so," Sheik said. "But let's get out of here first."

To be continued…


	40. Chapter 40: Courtyard of the Goddess

Chapter 40: Courtyard of the Goddess Statue

After Zelda, Sheik , and the Deku Princess stepped into the circle of light at the base of the well they found themselves standing before the Deku Shrine. Nearby, Lana was on her knees with the Deku Butler's head cradled in her lap. His eyes weren't open and his breathing seemed irregular.

"How is he doing?" Zelda asked.

"Not too good," Impa said, standing next to Lana with her arms folded. "He might die soon."

"Then we should give him this," Zelda said and took a leather water-bottle out of her satchel. "I filled it with some of the water from the well."

"So you took care of the guardian and summoned the Light Spirit?" Lana said, taking the water-bottle from Zelda's hand.

In response, Zelda nodded. "Now all I have to do is learn the Ballad of the Goddess and play it at the Goddess Statue."

"The Spirit of Light said that to you?" Impa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He did," Zelda answered. "But I don't know that song."

"I do," Sheik said, taking out his harp. "I'll play it for you if you want."

"Which instrument should I play the song on?" Zelda ruffled through her satchel for one of the Wind Instruments.

"Any of them will do, I think," Sheik said, and played a light melodic tune on his harp. "But try playing it on each of the four Wind Instruments just in case."

So while Zelda learned to play the Ballad of the Goddess on the four Wind Instruments, Lana was busy getting the Deku Butler to drink the water. Once he swallowed enough, the scratches on his arms and legs were instantly gone and his eyes fluttered open. Lana helped him to his feet, and the Deku Butler stretched his arms as if he had just woken from a long sleep. Then just as the Deku Butler was about to say something, the Deku Princess walked up to him and stepped on his foot causing him to flinch.

"That's for running away!" The Deku Princess pouted.

"I said I would bring help," the Deku Butler said, rubbing his foot.

"But you didn't get my father or the palace guards," whined the Deku Princess.

"It doesn't matter now," the Deku Butler said firmly. "These people saved your life, so you should at least be grateful for that."

The Deku Princess huffed and marched out of the shrine.

###

Back in the throne-room, the white monkey was tied up and being lowered into the fire-pit. But once the Deku Princess appeared, everyone stared in awe. The Deku Leader was especially surprised, and stood up from his throne.

"Floret," the Deku Leader exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"I went down into the Deku Palace Vault," the Deku Princess admitted reluctantly. "That stranger from the Twilight Wolves poisoned Raitoad, which made him angry and caused the swamp water to turn purple as well as the storm that's been hanging over the palace."

The Deku Leader huffed. "How can you prove that?"

"Raitoad coughed this up," Zelda said, holding up the Shadow Crystal for all to see. "This is a Shadow Crystal. They're abundant in the Twili District and are said to be corruptively potent."

A quiet _gasp_ erupted from the Deku Scrubs, including the Hylian tourists.

"But why would the Twilight Wolves poison a guardian to the sacred well?" Kasai asked out loud.

"To keep anyone from finding the Wind Instrument needed to summon the Light Spirit," Zelda answered. "It's the only creature that can repel the Twilight Realm, which has covered this whole area."

Everyone looked surprised.

"None of you have realized it because you've been lead to believe such a thing would never happen if you joined the Twilight Wolves, but you're wrong. Midna's planning to cover this whole city in Twilight, and possibly the world after that. Now if you would be kind to let us go deal with her, Deku Leader, I would greatly appreciate that."

"By all means," the Deku Leader said. "You've saved my daughter and my most trusted servant, so I am in your debt. Therefore, I propose that you take the Aeroplant out of the Deku District."

The Deku Princess Floret gasped. "But father—

"It shall be done!" The Deku Leader said, and stamped the ground with his staff.

Behind the Deku Leader, a sliding door opened revealing a device that looked similar to Lana's Loftwing only the wings were made of leaves and placed on top of the cock-pit. Curious, Lana entered the cock-pit and pushed a lever which caused the wings on top to spin like a propeller.

"Fascinating," Lana muttered as Zelda, Sheik, and Impa got on. "When did you have this made, Deku Leader?"

"A long time ago, but I kept it hidden after Mayor Ganon confiscated all the flying devices in Skyloft," the Deku Leader answered. "Now the Aeroplant hasn't been properly tested, so be careful while flying it."

"I will," Lana nodded and pulled down another lever which caused the cock-pit to start hovering up the tube-like shaft the Aeroplant was kept in.

At the top of the shaft, Zelda looked down and saw they were flying above the top of the Deku Palace. Using a wooden steering-wheel, Lana manipulated the Aeroplant to fly southeast toward the Goddess Statue who's back was facing toward them. Below the swamp waters had gone from purple to blue and the storm clouds had vanished.

###

A couple hours later, the Aeroplant banked left of the Goddess Statue's right arm and came above the courtyard. Zelda saw that the front wall to the courtyard had been broken into and there were several bodies strewn about. But what drew Zelda's attention more was a lone man standing in the middle of the courtyard with two figures lying at his feet. When his face looked up toward the Aeroplant, Zelda knew it was Ganon and then suddenly the Triforce symbol appeared on her hand. Behind her, Impa gasped when she saw the same symbol appear on Sheik's hand who looked just as surprised. Then Ganon waved his hand up at the Aeroplant which suddenly caused it to catch fire. Lana tried to steer the Aeroplant as best she could, but they were losing altitude quickly. So Sheik and Zelda jumped off while Impa and Lana crashed the Aeroplant into a courtyard wall.

"Impa! Lana!" Zelda exclaimed, seeing the Aeroplant burst into flames upon impact.

She attempted to run over to where the Aeroplant crashed, but she was blocked by a crystal-shaped forcefield that suddenly engulfed. Then Zelda was pulled back and found herself hovering in front of Ganon who had a malicious grin on his face. At his feet lay the unconscious bodies of Midna, who was back to normal with fragments of the Fused Shadow lying beside her, and Link who's tunic was no longer blue with a blue-haired mask next to him. Behind Ganon, Zelda noticed Cia lying at the feet of the Goddess Statue with a knife in her stomach. A Triforce symbol was glowing on Ganon's right hand but with the top triangle being the brightest as opposed to the right or left.

"Nice of you to drop in, Zelda," Ganon said snidely. "I was just about to finish off the leader of the Twilight Wolves who've been a thorn in my side for too long and the so-called False Hero."

"It's not over yet, Ganon!" Sheik exclaimed, getting Ganon's attention.

"And who might you be?" Ganon asked mockingly.

"My name is Sheik, but you know me as someone else," Sheik said as he suddenly vanished in a flash of pale blue light.

In his place stood a figure that Zelda knew all to well because it was herself but without the goggles and her shirt was pink as opposed to white.

"What? Impossible!" Ganon exclaimed, looking between the Zelda that was trapped in the crystal and the one standing before him. "How is there two Zeldas?"

"She's from an alternate reality, while I'm not," said the other Zelda as she took out the golden harp. "I also have the Goddess Harp, which is the key to summoning the Light Spirits and finishing you off for good."

After playing the Ballad of the Goddess on the harp, four bright lights appeared from the Sheikah, Zora, Hylian, and Deku Districts respectfully. Then as the four Light Spirits arose from these districts, the yellow-tinted clouds of the Twilight Realm vanished causing the sky to be blue once again. Surprised, Ganon attempted to fire beams of purple fire at the Zelda who stood before him which caused the Zelda who was trapped to be released from the crystal forcefield. But before the purple fires could singe the other Zelda, a shield of light appeared around her. Above the courtyard appeared the four Light Spirits whose orbs were shining brightly downward. As Ganon stepped back, the shield disintegrated as the other Zelda found herself holding a golden bow with four arrows of the same color.

"The Light Arrows," Ganon muttered. "No…"

"Oh, yes," said the other Zelda as she placed a Light Arrow into the string of the golden bow. "These are the only things that can destroy you, apart from the Master Sword, that were forged by the Light Spirits when they aided the Princess who helped the Hero defeat you long ago."

To be continued…


	41. Chapter 41: The Sky

Chapter 41: The Sky

While her alternate self was busy firing Light Arrows into Ganon, Zelda ran from the courtyard to the back of the Goddess Statue. She stopped there to take a breath, and noticed that her hands were becoming see-through.

"I was afraid this would happen," Zelda muttered. "Being close to my alternate self is causing the universe to erase my own existence since two of the same person can't exist in one place physically."

So she charged up the Infinity Gauntlet and then after concentrating really hard Zelda made a Puncture which depicted Link trying to keep Cia from stabbing him. She also saw herself picking up the Fused Shadow and running toward the Puncture. Without hesitation, Zelda entered through the Puncture causing the Zelda that was running to vanish into her. As the Puncture closed behind her, Zelda stood on the walkway leading up to the Ralis Temple for a few seconds before pulling out the Crossbow and firing a Sleep Arrow at Cia. The arrow punctured Cia's neck and made her collapse into Link's arms.

Link stared at Zelda with a baffled look and said through Proxi, " _I thought I told you to leave._ "

"But I did," Zelda insisted, helping Link place Cia on the floor of the walkway. "I used the Infinity Gauntlet to create a Puncture but instead of going to another place in this universe I ended up going to a different universe altogether."

" _And what happened there?_ " Link asked.

"A lot of things," Zelda cringed. "In that universe, you had joined the Twilight Wolves and gotten killed by Cia. Then Midna decided to order her non-Twili allies to attack Ganon's forces and ended up causing more destruction when I gave her the Fused Shadow in exchange for the captured Rail Riders' lives. So I fixed my mistake by teaming up with the Impa and Lana from that universe as well as a version of myself though I didn't know it because she was disguised as a male Sheikah named Sheik. Together, we collected the four Wind Instruments needed to summon the Spirits of Light which repelled the Twilight Realm that was spreading across Skyloft and they even aided the other Zelda in defeating Ganon."

" _Sounds pretty crazy,_ " Link said, scratching the side of his head.

"It was," Zelda said, and charged her Infinity Gauntlet once more.

" _What_ _'_ _re you doing?_ "

"Bringing something that'll get us out of here."

" _So we_ _'_ _re leaving Skyloft?_ "

"For now," Zelda replied as she opened a large Puncture further down the walkway. "We need to get rid of the Fused Shadow so Midna can't cause the same amount of destruction that she did in the other universe, and then we'll come back once we figure out how to defeat Ganon."

" _Then we should probably find Impa and Lana,_ " Link suggested. " _I bet they_ _'_ _re still in Hyrule._ "

"I'm not sure about that," Zelda said, concentrating on the Puncture.

" _Why?_ "

"If you haven't noticed, Cia has the exact same face as Lana's. So there's obviously some kind of connection between them, but the other universe Lana wouldn't tell me anything. Instead, I had to listen to alternate universe Ghirahim telling me how they used to be the same person but then something caused them to split into two people. All my life, I've never trusted Ghirahim but now I can't trust Lana either so we need to figure this out by ourselves."

Link said nothing as Zelda summoned the Loftwing through the Puncture and onto the walkway.

" _What is that?_ "

"It's a Loftwing, a flying machine that the alternate universe Lana invented," Zelda answered. "She apparently named it after the bird species that used to live on the floating islands before they went extinct."

" _I see._ "

The two got into the cock-pit and while Link held onto the overhead bar Zelda pulled a lever which caused the Loftwing's wings to flap vigorously. With the edge of the walkway before her, Zelda pulled a second lever which caused the Loftwing to move forward. Then she pushed the wheel up causing the Loftwing to become airborne. Gliding over Sunrise Bay, the Loftwing gained enough altitude to fly above the beach toward the floating islands. So Zelda banked the Loftwing to the left and guided it northeast. They flew to the edge of the artificial sea and Zelda was about to dip the Loftwing downward when another flying machine appeared behind the Loftwing. It resembled a metallic bird with red lights for eyes and talons curved like wheels. Once the two machines were a few yards from each other, the metallic bird opened its mouth and produced a flaming cannonball that flew over the Loftwing and exploded.

" _Where did that come from?_ " Link wondered, holding on as the Loftwing wobbled.

"The Courtyard of the Goddess," Zelda said glancing over her shoulder. "It must be Ganon."

" _How could he spot us from all the way back there?_ "

"A few years ago, Ganon confiscated all the flying machines in Skyloft and then he had Cia set up a system that detects any flying machine while it's in the air called a Flight-Motion Detector."

" _Great._ "

Zelda steered the Loftwing down toward the clouds below, but the metal bird followed. It continued to throw more cannonballs from its mouth until one exploded close enough to cause the Loftwing's tail to fall off. This in turn caused the Loftwing to nosedive straight down until the metal bird caught it in its metallic talons which uncurled. Link and Zelda sat perfectly still until a menacing voice came from inside the bird through its unseen earhole.

" _You_ _'_ _ve been a bad girl, Zelda,_ " Ganon's voice echoed. " _Now come home with me along with the gauntlet and the Fused Shadow, or your friend dies._ "

Zelda looked at Link, who shook his head, and then up at the ceiling. "If I do, will you promise to spare Link?"

" _Of course,_ " Ganon said after a pause.

" _No, Zelda,_ " Link said, holding Zelda's hand. " _It_ _'_ _s a trap._ "

"Then what would you suggest I do?" Zelda asked. "We're stuck here, Link, and there's nothing we can do about it."

As Zelda got up from her seat, she looked back and said, "Come back for me soon."

Without anything to say, Link watched as Zelda got out of the cock-pit and climbed onto the roof of the Loftwing. He heard the sound of a metal hatch opening and Zelda's footsteps. Then when the hatch closed, the metal bird's talons released the Loftwing causing it to plummet toward the clouds below. Link tried to steer the Loftwing up, but then a Puncture abruptly appeared below him and the Loftwing flew right into it.

To be continued…


	42. Chapter 42: Cave Mural

Chapter 42: Cave Mural

When Link came to, he found that the Loftwing was lying in a large pit inside a cave. There were electrical lamps placed along the walls, but none of them were lit. So using Proxi as his only source of light, Link climbed out of the wrecked Loftwing and onto the edge of the pit. Across from him there was a narrow passage, which Link walked into. It led into a small niche, which was pitch-black except for a cluster of lamps crowded behind a small electrical generator that kept humming. The lamps illuminated a carved mural on the main wall of the niche depicting several figures. One was a blond-haired youth wearing a green tunic and carrying a glowing sword in his hand. Above the youth there was a cluster of clouds with a female figure that looked like Zelda looking down at him. Below the youth's feet lay a demonic creature with red eyes and fiery hair that had a face resembling Ganon's. Beneath the mural there was stone plaque carved in Hylian that said, 'When Skyloft is in Peril, a Hero from a Land Below shall come Clad in Green bearing the Sword of Destiny and with the Goddess' Aid they shall Vanquish the Evil that has Appeared in Many Forms across Time and Space'.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

Link turned around and saw a plump man with balding black hair that had gray streaks in it wearing a peacock-blue suit, a green tie depicting a gold scarab beetle, and reptilian shoes. He held a small gas lantern in hand and his eyes were shifty.

"This place is off-limits, kid, so get out before I call the Clockwork Police," the man said threateningly.

" _I_ _'_ _m sorry, sir,_ " Link said apologetically. " _I didn_ _'_ _t know._ "

Then as Link walked away, the man noticed the Hylian Shield on Link's back and grabbed him by the collar of his white shirt.

"Hold on a second." The man's eyes widened. "This is the Hylian Shield, the sacred heirloom to Hyrule's royal family. Where did you get this?"

" _It was given to me,_ " Link answered.

"By whom?" The man asked.

" _I_ _'_ _m not telling you._ "

"If you don't, I'll report you as a thief and a trespasser."

" _But if it_ _'_ _s off-limits, aren_ _'_ _t you trespassing yourself? Unless you have special permission from Mayor Ganon._ "

"No, nothing of the sort!" the man denied. "Ganon's been dead for seven years, you twit."

" _Seven years?_ " Link tried to hide his surprise but it was very hard. " _What_ _'_ _s happened?_ "

The man blinked. "Have you been living under a rock or something? Zelda's the Mayor of Skyloft now, and she's completely decimated the land of Hyrule with constant aerial attacks by the Moblin Air Raiders. Now she's planning to take over the neighboring land of Termina but there's this bloke who calls himself Skull Kid that's threatening to drop the moon on Skyloft in three days unless she decides to leave Termina alone."

" _What?_ " Link's feet gave out due to shock and he found himself lying on the floor of the cave. " _Are you sure none of this is Ganon_ _'_ _s doing? Zelda would never do those things!_ "

"You knew her?"

Reluctantly, Link nodded. " _We were trying to escape Skyloft, but then Ganon caught us and he forced Zelda to come with him at the threat of killing me. She went along with it, but then Ganon tried killing me anyway. Then the next thing I know, a Puncture opens up below me and I_ _'_ _m in here all of a sudden._ "

"A Puncture? What's that?"

" _A hole in space and time. Zelda created them using this device called the Infinity Gauntlet._ "

"The Infinity Gauntlet? Isn't it made of metal and worn like a glove?"

" _Yes, you_ _'_ _ve seen it before?_ "

"I've heard rumors that Zelda had such a device in her possession, but I never knew it could create literal holes in space and time. That would explain the Watchmen."

" _Watchmen?_ "

"They're Zelda's elite surveillance soldiers," the man said, sitting down across from Link. "They can appear anywhere and see disturbances taking place from miles away. But for some reason they don't come near the Cave Mural, so we're safe in here."

" _How did you get in without being detected?_ "

"I have a little secret." The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet made from raw silk. "This is called the Cocoon Bracelet. When you activate it, a cocoon-like shield appears around you for a short time and the Watchmen can't detect you while you're under it. I made it myself, but I haven't gotten around to patenting it."

" _Patenting?_ "

"You know, taking credit for its invention. Used to happen all the time around here, back when Gaetano was in charge. But now it's just nothing but war and suffering. Maybe we've become too powerful for our own good, and Skull Kid's appearance is a sign that the Goddesses are angry with us."

" _Don_ _'_ _t think like that,_ " Link insisted. " _There_ _'_ _s got to be a way to snap Zelda out of her current madness and stop Skull Kid from destroying Skyloft._ "

The man sighed and said, "You sound just like Phosile, who was pretty optimistic about things no matter how rough it got."

" _You mean Professor Phosile?_ "

"Yeah."

" _I knew him too, before he and his wife were arrested by Ganon._ "

"So you were there?" The man scratched the sides of his balding head. "Maybe you're not as crazy as I thought you were. What's your name, boy?"

" _Link,_ " answered Link briefly and then he indicated to Proxi. " _And this is Proxi. She_ _'_ _s my translator since I can't speak_ _._ "

"Call me Professor Scarab," the man said holding out his hand. "I usually study bugs, but lately I've been dabbling into archaeology in honor of Phosile."

The two shook hands and then Link said, " _You make it sound like he_ _'_ _s dead._ "

"That's because he is," Professor Scarab said bluntly, taking out a silver flask and taking a long swig of it. "Him and his wife were executed by Ganon on the charge of treason, but I think it was because Phosile refused to hand over his research notes on the Time Gate."

" _Time Gate?_ "

"You've never heard of it," Scarab said as he took another swig from his flask. "When Phosile discovered the mural, he also found a large disk-shaped object in the pit where that flying machine of yours is at and realized it was the Time Gate described in these ancient texts talking about the people who lived here before we did. Naturally, Ganon got curious about it and had the mural sealed off from the public. But when Phosile didn't disclose his research, Ganon forced him to no longer publish anything and had pieces of the Time Gate shipped out."

" _Do you know where they were taken?_ "

"No idea," replied Scarab. "My best guess would be the Gerudo District, since that's where Ganon originally came from. At least, that's what his official papers say."

" _How do I get to the Gerudo District from here?_ "

"Just head south of the floating islands, and then go west."

" _Okay, thanks._ "

As Link stood up to go, Scarab held him back. "You might want to take this with you."

Using one hand, Scarab removed the Cocoon Bracelet from his wrist and placed it on Link's left hand. Then as Scarab passed out on the floor, Link left the niche through the passage he entered. Then he walked around the pit and approached the entrance to the cave where two men wearing black uniforms and talon-shaped boots stood. They carried Sheikah Silencers in leather holsters around their waists and their faces were obscured by helmets that resembled bird's heads with empty eye-sockets. While their backs were turned from him, Link put on the Cocoon Bracelet and saw a partially visible cocoon surround him. Quickly, he walked past the two men who didn't seem to notice him and walked out into a world with a crimson sky and a abnormally large moon with an angry face looking downward.

To be continued…


	43. Chapter 43: Gerudo District

Chapter 43: Gerudo District

Several hours later, Link arrived in the Gerudo District inside a Skyloft rail-cart. It was a vast desert with the canyons of the Sheikah District standing eastward while the rest was a rolling sea of sand-dunes. There was a cluster of adobe huts near an oasis that was labeled 'Nabooru Village' where several Gerudo women were trying to sell things to the group of Hylian tourists Link joined to avoid suspicion. Once again, the Hylian Shield and Master Sword were covered up by pieces of cloth thanks to Madame Starling who was still working at the Bazaar despite her son Beakon making plans to leave for a nearby island to avoid being around when the moon crashed into Skyloft. Before leaving for the Gerudo District, Link used some of the Rupees he'd found while exploring the temples to pay for another fortune-telling by Madame Starling and her advice was baffling.

"' _Search for the girl who can see what_ _'_ _s hidden and the four winds that blow across Skyloft_ ,'" Link said to himself. " _What in Termina does that mean?_ "

"Beats me," Proxi responded. "But we only have three days to figure it out."

"Excuse me!"

Link looked down and saw a girl bump right into him. The things she was carrying flew everywhere and the people didn't bother to stop to let her pick them up. So Link knelt down and helped the girl gather her things which included bottles with various spices and Potions. Link also found a book made of thin paper with a picture of a man wearing yellow-tinted goggles, an unbuttoned shirt exposing his muscular chest underneath, and tight-fitting brown pants. He was carrying a pistol in one hand while a woman with long raven hair and a malicious grin lurked in the background. Above the woman, the words ' _Commander Clamp and the Queen of Ravens_ ' were printed in bold lettering.

"Don't touch that!" cried the girl who bumped into Link, taking the book away from him and cradling it.

She was of short stature with tan skin, short red hair, and dark brown eyes. Her clothing consisted of a sleeveless pink top and matching pants that were silken along with a pair of pink slippers. A pink jewel rested on her forehead, making Link think back to the Gerudo sisters Kasai and Kouri.

"I'm so sorry for bumping into you," the girl said, looking up at Link. "But this magazine is really important to me."

" _I can see that,_ " Link said, and gave the girl the crate with the bottles back inside it. " _These are also yours._ "

"Thanks," said the girl as she put the book/magazine back inside the crate. "My mom would've killed me if I had broken a single bottle."

" _It was nothing,_ " Link said as he got to his feet.

As the girl did the same, she looked down at her book and then back at Link with a surprised look. "Say…you kind of look like the hero of my magazine."

" _Really?_ " Link looked at the magazine once more and winced. " _But I_ _'_ _m not that good-looking._ "

"I think you are, in a kind of boyish scrawny way," the girl said as she blushed slightly. "Have you ever been to the Gerudo District before?"

" _No, this is my first time,_ " Link answered.

"Then let me show you around," the girl said, and took Link by the hand. "I'm Naru."

" _Link._ "

###

After Naru showed Link around the entirety of Nabooru Village, she took him to a small adobe hut where a woman in a purple dress was waiting. She had a significant frown on her face as Naru approached the door.

"Where have you been, young lady?" The woman snapped. "You were supposed to be back here an hour ago."

"I'm sorry, mother," Naru said. "I ran into this boy in the market and showed him around town. His name's Link and I was wondering if he could stay here for the night."

"Have you got any Rupees?" asked the woman.

" _No, ma_ _'_ _am,_ " Link said shaking his head.

"Then you might as well sleep on the street," the woman said and was about to close the door. "Come here, Naru."

Reluctantly, Naru walked into the house as the woman shut the door behind her. So Link wandered to the oasis and chose to sleep under a palm-tree. He tried to fall asleep, but the moon's face made it difficult. Also, a chilly wind picked up which made him shiver. A blanket was suddenly thrown over his shoulders, causing Link to look up and see Naru standing above him with an embarrassed look.

"I'm sorry about the way my mom treated you," Naru said without looking directly at Link. "She's usually nicer, but I think the moon's driving her crazy because she thinks we're all going to die."

" _Can_ _'_ _t exactly blame her,_ " Link said, wrapping the wool blanket around him tightly. " _It_ _'_ _s certainly not pleasant to look at._ "

"If only the False Hero hadn't disappeared seven years ago," Naru sighed. "Everyone thought he was evil, but I didn't."

" _Really?_ " Link gave Naru a curious look.

"He sounded good-looking, so he couldn't have been bad," Naru said as she started blushing again. "I think Cia was just jealous of his good looks, because she was actually ugly and that's why she wore that mask all the time."

" _Was? Don_ _'_ _t you mean_ _'_ _is_ _'_?"

"Cia's dead, silly," Naru said. "Zelda had her executed after becoming the new Mayor."

" _Why did she do that?_ "

"I don't know. Something about being a fraud, but I'm not sure I believe it."

" _You sure know a lot about Skyloft_ _'_ _s politics for a twelve year-old._ "

"I'm fourteen, you idiot!" Naru snapped, and then said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to shout."

" _No offense taken,_ " Link said assuredly.

"I get this information mostly from my mom, who's very passionate when it comes to what's going on in Skyloft. She didn't like Ganon while he was Mayor, saying he gave the Gerudos a bad reputation, but hates Zelda even more. Not just because of the stuff Zelda's done, but my mom also thinks women shouldn't be in powerful positions."

" _It_ _'_ _s not being in a position of power that_ _'_ _s the problem,_ " Link said firmly. " _There_ _'_ _s something wrong with Zelda, and I plan to find out why that is._ "

"Wow, really?" Naru's eyes lit up. "How are you going to do that?"

" _By locating something Ganon supposedly buried out in this district called the Time Gate. Ever heard of such a thing?_ "

"No," Naru said shaking her head. "But I could find it for you. I have a talent for finding things, you see, which supposedly comes from my aunts. You might know them as Madam Kasai and Kouri who run the Deku Swamp Tours and a Potion Shop respectfully."

At that, Link flinched remembering what the sisters did to him.

"They're a little weird sometimes, but they can be nice," Naru said nervously. "For instance, Aunt Kouri occasionally sends Potions to my mother which helps her stay energized when she's selling trinkets to Hylian tourists."

" _Well, that_ _'_ _s nice, I guess._ "

"So how will the Time Gate help you figure out what's wrong with Zelda?"

" _I_ _'_ _m not sure, but it_ _'_ _s the only thing I_ _'_ _ve got to go on._ "

"All right," Naru said clapping her hands together. "But in exchange for helping you, I want you to do something for me in turn."

" _Such as?_ "

Naru took the magazine she held earlier from under her top and put it in Link's hands. "I want you to find the author of this series and have him sign it. If you can do that for me, I would be really grateful to you."

" _Sure,_ " Link said, and placed the book inside one of his pouches. " _I_ _'_ _ll do it for you._ "

"Great!" Naru cried joyfully as she left the oasis. "I'll meet you back here when you have the autograph, then."

To be continued…


	44. Chapter 44: Inkwell & Blotters

Chapter 44: Inkwell & Blotters

Early the next morning, Link took the earliest Skyloft rail-cart out of the Gerudo District into the Hylian District. There, he asked people about _Inkwell & Blotters_ which was apparently the company that published the _Commander Clamp_ series. He was eventually led to a small building on a side-street with the company's name painted on a big sign with several issues placed in the windowsill on display. Inside, Link approached a desk where a woman wearing a plain blue dress was seated behind. Next to her was a glass door with several people inside talking on phones, writing, drawing, or working a pair of large machines in the back.

"Welcome to _Inkwell & Blotters_," said the woman looking up from a book she was reading. She had her hair tied up in a bun and horn-rimmed glasses. "How may I help you?"

" _Um, I'm looking for the author of this series,_ " Link said and showed the woman the magazine. " _Do you know where I can find him?_ "

The woman adjusted her glasses while looking at the magazine and then she said, "I'm not sure. You'll have to ask Mister Blotter about that."

" _Where is he?_ "

"Back there, on the door to your right," the woman said, pointing to the glass door. "You can't miss it."

" _Thanks, Miss…_

"Featherweight," the woman said adjusting her name-tag. "But you can call me Penny."

As Penny Featherweight went back to reading her book, Link opened the glass door and walked down a narrow hallway until he reached the door. Here, the _whirr_ of the machines in the back was very loud and the people near the desks were constantly yelling at each other or into the phones they held. Opening the door, Link entered a small office where a large man with dark brown hair wearing a green vest, a white shirt, and khaki pants was yelling into a phone.

"I don't what your game is, Inkwell, but you're not getting this company back and that's final!" shouted the large man as he hung up. He then noticed Link and shouted, "What do you want? I'm a very busy man, so speak fast!"

" _I was wondering if you could tell me where the author of this series is, Mister Blotter,_ " Link said showing the magazine once more. " _The lady at the front said you might know._ "

"And why are you interested in finding him?" Mister Blotter asked.

" _To have him autograph this copy,_ " Link answered. " _It's for a friend of mine._ "

"Well, you're not the first fan who's come by the office asking for the whereabouts of Mister Grasshopper," Mister Blotter sighed. "I've never met the guy in person, but he always sends drafts through the mail."

" _Is there a particular address he sends them from?_ "

"It's always changing, so I can't say if any one of them is actually where he lives." Mister Blotter opened his desk-drawer and pulled out several opened envelopes with stamps on them. "Here's the envelopes he usually mails his drafts in."

Link took the envelopes and examined them. Like Mister Blotter said, none of the addresses were the same place but each of the stamps had a golden insect design. It was then that an idea came to Link's head and he left Mister Blotter's office immediately.

###

After navigating through some streets, he found Agnes' shop. He noticed a sign on the window that said, 'closed' and assumed Agnes was still asleep. So Link waited outside for a couple of hours, but the 'closed' sign stayed.

A middle-aged woman wearing a red dress and a matching bonnet passed by Link and said, "She's already gone, kid. Trust me, I'm her neighbor."

" _Do you know where she went?_ " Link asked.

"In the direction of the Hylian University, I believe."

" _Where's that?_ "

"Head west down Main Street, north of the Hylian Park, and the Hylian University will be there. It's a pretty big building, so you'll see it pretty easily."

" _Okay,_ " Link said and walked toward Main Street. " _Thanks, ma'am._ "

He followed the woman's directions and found the Hylian University beyond Farore Hill in the Hylian Park. There were three buildings shaped like triangles clustered around a triangular courtyard that was accessible through an iron gate. Located between two of the buildings, Link attempted to approach the iron gate but there was a cluster of Clockwork Policemen standing around. So he wandered around the side of one building, which had white pillars and blue stone tiles, until he found an open window. Climbing through it, Link found himself in an empty classroom and a young woman wearing a white blouse and long blue skirt sitting nearby with a textbook open. She didn't appear to hear Link come in as a small device next to her blared loud music from it. But when Link opened the creaking door to leave the classroom, the girl looked up from the textbook with a surprised look on her face. Her brunette hair was tied into a braid that wrapped around her head and her eyes were hazel-brown.

"How did you get in here?" The young woman asked.

" _Through the window,_ " Link said, pointing to the open window.

Irritated, the young woman walked over to the window and shut it. "Don't you know the school is on lockdown, mister?"

" _Lockdown?_ "

"You know, locked up until further notice."

" _Why?_ "

"I'm not sure. A bunch of Clockwork Policemen showed up this morning led by one of the Watchmen, who claimed someone dangerous was hiding in the school and is currently trying to apprehend that person."

" _Well, I'm here looking for a girl called Agnes. She runs a shop in town, likes bugs._ "

"Oh, I know her," the young woman exclaimed. "She always visits Professor Scarab, who didn't show up for class today. I bet she's in his office."

Remembering the drunken man at the Cave Mural, Link said, " _And where is that?_ "

"Third floor on the left side," the woman answered. "I'll take you to it."

So Link followed the young woman out the door and into a dark hallway.

"If you know Agnes, then you must be friends with her," the young woman said as she and Link ascended the stairs.

" _You could say that,_ " Link replied.

"That's good to hear," the young woman replied. She halted at the top of the stairs and held out her hand. "I'm Wittia Sharp."

" _Link_ ," said Link as he took the young woman's hand.

"No last name?" Wittia asked as she led Link to a door on the left side of the hall.

Inside there was a large office with display cases of bugs along the walls, a couple of bookshelves, and a mahogany desk but no one was in it. While Link examined the walls, Wittia searched the desk and picked something up. She showed it to Link, who recognized it as a Golden Bug.

" _Agnes was here,_ " Link said.

"I bet the Watchman took her away," Wittia guessed. "But why? She never committed any crimes as far as I know."

" _Then she's being wrongfully accused._ "

The Golden Bug, which was a grasshopper suddenly started making chirping noises. Proxi flew up to it and listened. Her body bobbed up and down a few times before she seemed satisfied.

" _Did the bug say something?_ "

"It did," Proxi said. "Turns out the Watchman didn't just come for Agnes but also for something else called the Bolero of the Western Gale."

"The Wind Sages," Wittia muttered. "Of course!"

" _What do you mean?_ "

"I read about them in my history textbook," Wittia said excitedly. "They had the ability to control the winds using the four Wind Instruments when the original occupants of Skyloft were alive. They're said to be the only ones that can protect Skyloft from complete destruction, and have reincarnated over the centuries into the present day while the Wind Instruments have been passed down for generations."

" _But what does that have to do with Agnes and this Bolero thing?_ "

"Well, according to the texts written by Skyloft's original occupants, they believed there would come a day when the sky would literally fall on Skyloft. When that happens, the four Wind Sages must come together and play the Medley of Winds to stop the sky from falling. Now the Medley of Winds itself is composed of four pieces, and one of them is the Bolero of the Western Gale. So that means Agnes is one of the Wind Sages reincarnated and Zelda knows this."

" _Either she's planning to make the prophecy happen to prevent Skyloft from being crushed by the moon or trying to eliminate the Sages so Skyloft is completely destroyed,_ " Link said thoughtfully. " _I hope it's the latter, but I'm highly doubtful. Do you know where the Medley Fragment might be hidden, Wittia?_ "

"I think so," Wittia said adjusting her glasses. "Professor Scarab once mentioned that his old friend Phosile once found the Medley Fragment while searching around the Hylian University's Library. Perhaps the Watchman took Agnes there."

" _Let's hope so,_ " Link said, and left the office with Wittia leading the way.

To be continued…


	45. Chapter 45: Hylian University

Chapter 45: Hylian University

Two floors down, Link and Wittia found a large black door with the Triforce symbol on it.

Wittia tried to pull the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Great! It's locked."

A muffled scream was heard seemingly from inside.

" _That sounded like Agnes,_ " Link said, trying to push the door in. " _How do we open it?_ "

"We need three keys," Wittia said, pointing to the Triforce symbol which had three keyholes in each triangle. "One from each hall, and they're usually kept by the Deans."

" _And where are they at?_ "

"I'm not sure," Wittia answered. "But we have to hurry! The Watchman might be looking for the Medley Fragment in there as we speak."

###

Back on the first floor, Wittia took Link to a lone bookcase standing at the end of the hallway they were in. She then took out a blue book which caused the shelf to swing inward. Entering it, Link and Zelda found themselves in a dark room. Once the shelf closed behind them, an electric light went on revealing a small office with piles of books and a single man crouched behind a desk. He was of small stature with slicked back hair, wearing a blue suit and matching tie.

"Mister Cobalt," Wittia said, walking toward the desk.

"Wittia?" the little man exclaimed, peeking over the desk. "What are you doing here? Don't realize we're in the middle of a lockdown?"

"I realize that, Mister Cobalt, but we need your help," Wittia said urgently. "The Watchman who arrived here is trying to steal something from the University Library, and we need your key to unlock the door."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Mister Cobalt. "The Watchman assured me and the other Deans that he's merely trying to apprehend a criminal who's hiding somewhere in this school."

"What if I told you that criminal is an innocent girl called Agnes, who might be a reincarnation of one of the Wind Sages?"

"Then I would think you are out of your mind!" replied Mister Cobalt. "The Wind Sages are nothing more than legends told by a primitive race of people who once lived here."

"But isn't it a strange coincidence that those 'primitive' people predicted centuries ago the sky would fall when in three days the _moon_ is going to crash down on us? And doesn't it seem odd that the Watchman is arresting someone who as far as I know has never committed a crime in her life? Something's going on, Mister Cobalt, and if you're not the least bit curious about what it is then you don't deserve to be the Dean for the Hall of Nayru!"

Mister Cobalt grumbled and said, "All right, I'll give you my key but only if your silent friend can answer my riddle."

In response, Link nodded.

Mister Cobalt cleared his throat and said, "What can be carried like a gun that never requires ammo to be used?"

Link thought about it for sometime and then he looked at the Master Sword strapped to his back and answered, " _A sword?_ "

"Correct," Mister Cobalt said, and took out a silver key with an insignia that consisted of three conjoined circles in a triangular formation. "Here is the Key of Wisdom, like I promised. You'll need to get the Key of Power and the Key of Courage from the Halls of Din and Farore respectfully to open the University Library door."

"And where are the Deans for those halls?" Wittia asked.

"I believe the Dean for the Hall of Din, Mister Cardinal, is in the gymnasium while the whereabouts of the Dean for the Hall of Farore, Mister Olive, are a complete mystery," replied Mister Cobalt.

"We'll look for Mister Cardinal, then," Wittia said leading Link out of the office. "Thanks, Mister Cobalt."

"Come back if you have questions," Mister Cobalt said, and pressed a button that opened the bookshelf door.

Outside, Link and Wittia made their way out of the Hall of Nayru and into the neighboring Hall of Din through the courtyard while having to avoid Clockwork Policemen that were still patrolling the gates around the school. Unlike the Hall of Nayru, the Hall of Din had red stone tiles along with lit torches and the students Link saw in the classrooms wore red articles of clothing. They eventually found the gymnasium on the first floor where a large man in red shorts with a pompadour of blond hair was lifting weights from a table.

"Um, excuse me," Wittia said getting the man's attention.

The man stopped lifting and looked up at Wittia and Link with an annoyed look. "This had better be important! I'm kind of busy right now."

"I was wondering if I could borrow the Key of Power from you, Mister Cardinal," Wittia said nervously. "We need it to unlock the door to the University Library."

"Is that it?" Mister Cardinal said as he started to resume lifting his weights. "That's why you made me lose count? Now I have to start over thanks to you!"

" _We didn_ _'_ _t mean to,_ " Link said assuredly. " _It_ _'_ _s just that a friend of mine is in danger and we really need that key of yours._ "

"Very well," Mister Cardinal replied, thrusting his dumbbell weight at Link. "If you can beat my record of lifting a 100 pound weight ten times in five minutes, then I'll give you the key."

Link looked at the dumbbell and nodded. While Mister Cardinal timed him, Link managed to lift not only the 100 pound weight with ease but he also managed to lift it ten times at a rapid pace. When Mister Cardinal stopped the timer, a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head.

"Three minutes?!" Mister Cardinal exclaimed. "That's a new record!"

"Now give us the key like you promised," Wittia said impatiently.

"Of course," Mister Cardinal said taking a golden key from his red shorts pocket that had an insignia resembling waves. "You've earned it, kid."

Link caught the key as Mister Cardinal tossed it in his direction. " _Do you know where the Dean for the Hall of Farore is, by chance?_ "

"I can't say for certain," Mister Cardinal shrugged. "My best guess would be to look in the Hall of Farore."

"Okay, thanks," Wittia said as she and Link left.

"I'll be here if you want to beat my record again," Mister Cardinal shouted after them.

###

In the Hall of Farore which was covered in green stone tiles and vines, Link and Wittia found several students with green-colored clothing milling about.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be in your classrooms?" Wittia asked out loud.

"We're daring each other to see who can stay out here without getting caught by the Clockwork Police," said a student who wore green trousers and a cream-white shirt.

"The winner gets to skip class for the day while the loser has to scrub floors for a week," added another student who wore a short green skirt.

" _Can you tell us where the Dean of this hall is?_ " asked Link.

"You mean Mister Olive?" When Link nodded, the student with the green trousers thought for a moment. "I think he's down in the school garden."

Satisfied, Link and Wittia left the students and wandered about the hallways until they found Mister Olive asleep in the school garden which was a glass room with several plants growing inside. He was a lanky man with balding wavy hair, wearing a green bathrobe and matching slippers. When Link and Wittia approached him, Mister Olive immediately woke up and yelled 'Boo!' which surprised both of them.

"Hah! Got you!" said Mister Olive proudly. "The looks on your faces was worth it!"

"That wasn't funny, Mister Olive," Wittia said sharply. "We've been looking all over the Hall of Farore for you."

"What is it?" Mister Olive asked curiously.

" _We need the Key of Courage to open the door to the University Library,_ " Link explained. " _We need to get in there to save a friend who may be in danger._ "

"Sure," Mister Olive said, pulling out a black key with an insignia resembling two crescents around a circle. But then as he was handing it to Link, Olive withdrew it. "But only if you dare to go into the cafeteria and get me a sandwich. I've been in here all morning, and I'm starving."

Wittia sighed. "Fine, we'll be right back."

"And make sure it's a tuna sandwich!" Mister Olive said after them. "I can't stand meatball or chicken ones."

In the cafeteria, Link and Wittia had to sneak around to avoid a lady wearing a white apron who was preparing different kinds of food. One such food-item happened to be a tuna sandwich, and it was set out on a table just across from the oven which Link and Wittia were hiding behind. While Wittia distracted the cafeteria lady, Link sprang from behind the oven and grabbed the tuna sandwich. Then after he exited the cafeteria, Wittia joined up with him and together they made it back to the garden. Mister Olive immediately took the sandwich from Link's hand, smelled it, and then he swallowed the whole thing in one bite.

"Mmm," Mister Olive said while chewing the sandwich in his mouth. "Just what I needed. Here's the Key of Courage."

After giving the key to Link for real this time, Mister Olive lay down and went back to sleeping.

###

Back at the University Library door, Link placed the keys inside the keyholes. The keys automatically turned and the door swung open on its own. There was no light inside except for the lanterns carried by ghost-like beings that disappeared in and out of walls and shelves.

"It's the Poe Sisters," Wittia said, following one of them. "They're the unofficial guardians of the University Library. Maybe they've seen the Watchman."

" _If you say so,_ " Link said, watching the Poes nervously.

Wittia walked up to the nearest Poe, whose robes were orange and was carrying a red paper lantern. The two spoke quietly and then as the Poe left Wittia came back to Link with a worried look on her face.

"That was Joelle," Wittia said. "She told me the Watchman hasn't been here, and neither has Agnes. So that means—

" _The Watchman_ _'_ _s still wandering through the school,_ " Link said. " _We should wait for him to show up, grab Agnes, and then close the door so he can_ _'_ _t get in._ "

"Good idea," Wittia said, and looked at the door with surprise. "Except that he's already here."

Link followed Wittia's gaze and saw a man wearing the same black uniform and bird helmet that the other two figures wore outside the Cave Mural standing inside the door with Agnes' unconscious body in his arms.

To be continued…


	46. Chapter 46: University Library

Chapter 46: University Library

" **Thought I was in here, didn** **'** **t you?** " said the Watchman in a distorted, almost inhuman voice. Then he made a muffled sound that sounded like the scream Link and Wittia had heard before.

"You tricked us," Wittia exclaimed. "By making us think Agnes was inside the library, we did all the work for you."

" **Precisely,** " the Watchman nodded. " **Now stand aside. I have a Medley Fragment to retrieve for my Mistress.** "

" _You mean Zelda?_ " Link said, putting his hand on the Master Sword hilt. " _What does she want with Agnes, or the Medley Fragment for that matter?_ "

The Watchman shook his head. " **I cannot tell you.** "

" _Then I have no choice but to fight you._ " Link unsheathed the Master Sword and held it out.

For a brief second, the Watchman flinched when he saw the Master Sword. Then inside the empty eye-sockets of his bird helmet a pair of blue lights lit up. " **You can try, but you** **'** **ll never catch me! I** **'** **m Fahlcon, the fastest member of the Watchmen! I shall find the Medley Fragment before you!** "

Then in the blink of an eye, Fahlcon the Watchman was gone along with Agnes. Link and Wittia looked around in confusion and noticed there were no more glowing lanterns.

"He's captured the Poe Sisters," Wittia said, not moving. "They're the only ones that can give him access to the Restricted Area. That's got to be where the Medley Fragment is located, considering how valuable it's worth."

" _But how could Fahlcon capture the Poe Sisters? They_ _'_ _re ghosts, right?_ "

"Yes, but there's a special item the Librarian uses to keep the Poe Sisters in line," Wittia said, feeling her way along a nearby bookshelf. "It's called the Ghost Lantern, and it has the ability to capture spirits. If Fahlcon got ahold of it, then he must've encountered the Librarian. We need to find him if we're to get to the Restricted Area in time to stop Fahlcon from stealing the Medley Fragment."

Using the bookshelves to work their way around, Link and Zelda came to a rectangular desk that had a gas lamp on it. Lying on the floor nearby was an elderly man in a blue robe with a long gray beard who moaned softly. Wittia helped him up while Link stood guard.

"Mister Penman," Wittia said, shaking the man slightly. "Are you all right? What happened?"

The old man's eyes fluttered and he looked around in confusion. "Thank the Goddesses you're here, Wittia. The lantern…where is it?"

Wittia got up and pulled out a hidden drawer beneath the desk. She shook her head and said, "It's not in its usual place, sir."

"Then that bird-faced man must've taken it," Mister Penman said wearily. "I saw him in front of my desk for a brief moment before he knocked me out."

"That was a Watchman, Mister Penman," Wittia said as she helped Penman to his feet. "He's trying to steal the Medley Fragment using the Poe Sisters to open the Restricted Area. Can you take us there?"

"Of course I can," Mister Penman said, straightening himself out. "I know this library like the back of my hand, most of the time."

Removing the lamp from its hook, Mister Penman led Link and Wittia through a maze of bookshelves until they came to what looked to be a dead-end. Mister Penman examined the books along the shelves carefully and was baffled when he noticed a hole in the bookshelf in front of him.

"The key is missing," Mister Penman muttered. "It's a blue book with Nayru's symbol on it."

So Link and Zelda looked around the nearby shelves until they came across the book Mister Penman described lying underneath a cushioned stool. The two brought it back to Mister Penman who placed it inside the hole which caused the bookshelf to slide left.

"This is the only way to the Restricted Area," Mister Penman noted. "If the key was discarded, then the Watchmen has already been through here."

"Then we may be too late," Wittia said doubtfully.

" _Let_ _'_ _s not give up hope just yet,_ " Link said with confidence.

The bookshelves on either side of the trio became narrower the further they went until they met another dead-end. Here, the books were sprawled out all over the floor.

"This door can only be opened when the books are arranged in a particular order on both sides," responded Mister Penman as he leaned down followed by a _crack_. "Ow!"

"Don't strain yourself, Mister Penman," Wittia said getting down on her knees. "Link and I will figure out the pattern."

"I'll be over here if you need any hints," Mister Penman said as he sat down on a nearby stool.

Once all the books were properly sorted, Wittia and Link came to the conclusion that the key to opening the shelf doors was in the color of the book's spines. While some were yellow, others were dark gray, and some were in between. Arranging them by matching colors, the books eventually formed a Triforce pattern which caused the bookshelves to swing inward. On the other side, the three saw Fahlcon approach a metal door with no lock. There were two unlit candles on each side of the door that were differently colored, with the ones on the left being red and blue while the ones on the right were green and purple.

With Agnes slung over his shoulder, Fahlcon held out a black lantern with multi-colored flames inside and shouted, " **Poe Sisters, obey my will and grant me access to the Restricted area!** "

From inside the lantern emerged four ghostly figures wearing different-colored robes that were red, blue, green, and purple carrying paper lanterns that bore flames of the same color. They approached the candles that matched the color of their robes and lit them with their lanterns. As a result, the metal door swung open allowing Fahlcon to enter the dark room that lay beyond.

To be continued…


	47. Chapter 47: Restricted Area

Chapter 47: Restricted Area

" _Stop right there!_ " Link shouted, causing Fahlcon to stop midway through the door.

Fahlcon turned around and faced Link. The lights in his eyes glowed brightly as he said, " **So you managed to catch up to me. How utterly foolish! Poe Sisters, destroy this annoying pest while I retrieve the Medley Fragment!** "

As the Poe Sisters flew towards Link, he swung the Master Sword which suddenly shot a wave of light that hit Fahlcon's hand causing him to drop the Ghost Lantern. Surprised, Fahlcon ran inside the metal door still carrying Agnes. Meanwhile, the Poe Sisters stopped flying midway and looked around in confusion.

"You freed the Poe Sisters, Link," Wittia said. "They're no longer under Fahlcon's control because you made him drop the Ghost Lantern."

" _Yeah, but I don't exactly know how I did it,_ " Link said, looking at the Master Sword with a confused look.

"The Master Sword is a special blade that was forged long ago," Mister Penman said as he picked up the Ghost Lantern which was still intact. "It can kill all manner of evil and has magical capabilities as well. Now we must close the door to prevent the monsters inside from getting out."

"But what about Agnes?" Wittia asked. "Shouldn't we go in there and rescue her?"

"No, it's too dangerous," Mister Penman said shaking his head.

" _Then I'll go,_ " Link responded. " _If monsters start appearing near the door, then don't hesitate to shut it._ "

"You could get killed, Link," Wittia said, taking Link's hand.

" _I'll be fine,_ " Link replied, letting go of Wittia's hand. " _I've been in tougher situations before. This is nothing._ "

But as Link approached the door, Mister Penman stood in his way.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Mister Penman sighed. "If you wish to risk your life, then you should take this with you."

Presenting the Ghost Lantern, Mister Penman placed it in Link's hand and stood aside.

"You may now use the Poe Sisters to aid you in navigating through the Restricted Area," Mister Penman said as the Poe Sisters surrounded Link. "The red one is Joelle, the blue one's Beth, the green one's Amy, and the purple one is Meg. Say their name to summon them, otherwise you may tell them to return to the lantern."

" _I appreciate you giving this to me, Mister Penman,_ " Link said, and looked at the Poe Sisters individually. " _But I'm not going to be like Fahlcon. So Poe Sisters, I release you._ "

A bright light flashed from the Ghost Lantern for a second, but the Poe Sisters didn't move.

" _Oh, I see,_ " Link realized. " _You want to come with me. Is that it?_ "

" ** _That man must be stopped,_** " said Joelle angrily.

" ** _He forced us to do things against our will,_** " responded Beth.

" ** _But you rescued us, young stranger,_** " replied Amy giddily.

" ** _Therefore, we are in your debt and would wish to repay you,_** " said Meg who made a slight bow. " ** _So it is only fair that we accompany you._** "

Then before Link could protest, the Poe Sisters flew into the Ghost Lantern and appeared inside as ghostly flames that swirled around the inside of the glass casing. Once this was done, Link went into the door and found himself in a dark room with the only light coming from Red, Blue, and Green Bubbles that floated around the tall bookshelves and along the high-vaulted ceiling. But as Link approached one of the bookshelves, he heard the sound of bones crunching. He held the Ghost Lantern up and saw a skeletal warrior with a sword and shield in its hand.

" _Great, Stalfos,_ " Link said holding the Master Sword in a defensive position. " _Just like the ones from Ikana Valley back in Termina._ "

After defeating the Stalfos Link came to a bookshelf with a ladder on it. Going up the ladder, Link discovered a small treasure chest on an upper shelf. Inside, there was a small silver key. Then he noticed a metal bar that the ladder was attached to that ran along the entire length of the bookshelf. Using the Talon Clasp, Link was able to propel himself to the end of the shelf where he found another ladder which he climbed onto. This one led him all the way to the top of the shelf where a couple of Stalfos were waiting for him.

" _Joelle, help me out!_ " Link said, holding the Ghost Lantern up.

At once, Joelle emerged from the lantern. Waving her lantern around, Joelle created a perfect circle of fire around Link. The Stalfos stopped when they touched the fire and became incinerated in a matter of seconds. Moving in a southern direction, Link found a crystal ball on a metal pedestal. Hitting it with the Master Sword, the crystal ball turned yellow and a nearby shelf moved. Curious, Link went back down the ladder and investigated the area behind the shelf. There were three Green Bubbles in the area, and so Link summoned Joelle to defend him. But when she used her fire on them, it had no effect on the Bubbles.

" ** _To extinguish the flames on these creatures, you must use the Poe of Green Fire,_** " Joelle said cryptically as she returned into the lantern.

Guessing what she meant, Link said, " _Amy, please extinguish the fires on these Bubbles._ "

In response, Amy appeared from the lantern and waved her lantern side to side to send waves of green fire at the incoming Bubbles. Their green flames were immediately extinguished, allowing Link to use the Master Sword to slice them into pieces. Once they were all defeated, Link noticed a wooden door with a silver lock on it between two bookshelves along the wall that faced westward. Using the matching silver key, Link was able to unlock the door and find a room with a crystal ball inside. Once Link hit it with his sword, the crystal ball turned yellow and another shelf moved outside.

A new area was unlocked in the northern part of the library and here there were Bubbles with blue fire. Remembering what happened last time, Link asked Amy to return to the lantern while he summoned Beth in her place. Using the blue-colored fire from her lantern, Beth was able send fiery projectiles at the incoming Bubbles who immediately lost their flames and tried to flee. But Link was on them in a heartbeat and after defeating all the Bubbles a ladder became visible. Climbing it to the top, Link navigated along the tops of two connecting bookshelves until he came across another small chest with a silver key inside. Finding another ladder to climb down, Link ran toward it but was blocked by a trio of Stalfos. He took them on one at a time with Joelle providing him with a protective ring of fire until every single one of them was nothing but a pile of bones.

At the bottom of the ladder, there was another wooden door with a lock on it. Using the silver key, Link found a third crystal ball that turned yellow when he hit it with his sword. Another shelf moved thus allowing Link to access the eastern end of the library where the Bubbles were red. So he used Joelle to protect him but found that her flames didn't harm them as much as the Stalfos. Then he tried using Meg and to his surprise she encapsulated every single Bubble inside a ring of purple fire which caused them to burn up. However, each time Link used her she had to go back into the lantern to recharge her lantern whose flames lowered significantly with every attack. Soon he found another ladder and climbed up till he was on top of the shelf where a fourth crystal ball was standing. After hitting it, a shelf moved creating a path to a large golden chest. Moving his way toward the chest, Link was suddenly blocked by a trail of books that floated midair forming a menacing face with razor sharp teeth made from paper.

" _What is that?_ " Link asked out loud.

" ** _Bokwyrme, an evil spirit that roams in this section who can make the books come to life,_** " answered Meg. " ** _That man must've awakened him from his slumber in order to distract us._** "

" _Well, let's see how tough he is,_ " replied Link.

To be continued…


	48. Chapter 48: Speed Demon Fahlcon

Chapter 48: Speed Demon Fahlcon

In response, the spirit known as Bokwyrme sent the books flying at Link like projectiles. Link swung at them vigorously to keep the books' from biting him with their page-made teeth. But as more of them kept coming, Link was forced to summon Joelle who created a ring of fire that kept the books from coming toward him. Using this to his advantage, Link was able to beat back the flying books with the Master Sword until there was nothing left except a ghostly apparition. Waving the Ghost Lantern in front, Link was able to absorb the apparition which became a dark blue flame inside. After that, Link reached the golden chest he found a big golden key and noticed a ledge above the bookshelves where a large door with a gold lock was situated.

" _Okay, Bokwyrme,_ " Link said holding up the lantern. " _Make a bridge that will allow me to get up to that ledge._ "

Reluctantly, Bokwyrme emerged from the lantern and created an entire staircase made from books. Finding them to be surprisingly sturdy, Link walked up the book-made staircase and onto the ledge. Once there, he waved the lantern and said, " _I_ _'_ _m releasing you from serving me, Bokwyrme, but don_ _'_ _t bother anyone who enters this section._ "

There was a bright flash and the book-made staircase fell apart with the books flying this way and that till they returned to their proper shelves. With the big gold key, Link used it to unlock the door and stepped inside. Apart from an unlit lantern, there was nothing in the room except a stone tablet encased in glass. Upon closer examination, Link realized that there were symbols on the tablet but he couldn't figure out what they were.

" **At last,** " said a voice behind Link. " **I have found the Medley Fragment.** "

There was a rushing noise, and then Link found himself writhing on the floor as something unseen had punched him in the gut. Above him stood Fahlcon, who was still carrying Agnes over his shoulder. Using one hand, Fahlcon punched through the glass and picked up the stone tablet. As Link got to his feet, Fahlcon looked over his shoulder.

" **It seems you** **'** **re not as bright as I thought, Hero of Infinite Possibilities,** " Fahlcon said as he turned to face Link. " **If you wish to die a swift death here, then I will gladly bring it to you.** "

Setting Agnes down, Fahlcon stood in a position like he was ready to run as the blue lights that were his eyes glowed brightly. Then just as Fahlcon moved, Link summoned Joelle which caused Fahlcon to run into it. Backing away, Fahlcon kept a safe distance from Link until the flames died out. So Link switched Joelle out for Beth in order to send flaming projectiles at Fahlcon who merely dodged them as he ran in circles around Link. Using Amy, Link sent waves of green fire in Fahlcon's wake causing him to run all around the room to keep the flames from catching up to him. With Fahlcon being almost cornered, Link quickly switched Amy for Meg in order to trap him in a ring of purple fire. Fahlcon burned profusely in the ring causing his uniform to be destroyed, revealing a hideous body that was nothing but muscle with no skin and it was swollen.

Angered, Fahlcon ran at Link from every direction at an even faster pace than before. Barely dodging them, Link used the same pattern as before and was able to trap him in yet another ring of purple fire from Meg. This time, Fahlcon's helmet melted off of him along with the Sheikah Silencer. Underneath, Fahlcon's face was just as muscled and swollen as his body with the blue lights still shining from his real eye-sockets and a mass of dark hair that was rising like heat.

" **That does it!** " Fahlcon said as steam rose from his naked body. " **Now you** **'** **re really dead!** "

But as Fahlcon tried to take a step forward, a melodic sound was heard in the room. Link looked to his right and saw Agnes on her knees with the stone tablet at her feet. A clarinet of wood that was the color of honey and golden keys was held in Agnes' hand and she was playing a song that sounded dramatic but subtle.

" **The Bolero of the Western Gale,** " Fahlcon said as he started to suddenly tremble. " **It** **'** **s weakening my power!** "

Running toward the open door, Link was able to stop him in another ring of purple fire conjured by Meg. The flames pierced Fahlcon's skin, causing him to seemingly melt in the flames. But to Link's surprise, there was another person lying in Fahlcon's place of average height with brown hair and red cheeks.

" _Fletch?_ " Link said, running up to the boy he knew who looked much older now. " _Is that you?_ "

In response the young man opened his eyes, which were now hazel-green like they were when Link met him, and he looked genuinely surprised. "Link! Where have you been?"

" _It would take too long to explain,_ " Link said, helping Fletch to his feet. " _But what happened? Where are the other Rail Riders?_ "

"I don't know," Fletch said nervously. "The last thing I can recall is being taken to the Goddess Statue by Zelda, who seemed more…sinister from before."

" _In what way?_ "

"Well, her skin was paler than usual and her eyes were different. Instead of being blue like the sky, they were a sickly yellow color. I didn't want to say anything out of fear that the guys would pick on me, so I kept these observations to myself. Then we were led into this dark room with this weird statue inside that had an ugly looking face with horns on top of its head, and that's the last thing I remember."

" _The Fused Shadow,_ " Link muttered.

"What?" Fletch asked.

" _Never mind,_ " Link said shaking his head. Then he said, " _Do you know where Zelda is?_ "

"No," Fletch said with an embarrassed look as he started shivering. "Boy, it's much colder in here than I thought."

" _I_ _'_ _ll let you have my clothes, then,_ " Link said as he started taking off his shirt.

A quiet _gasp_ caused Link to look over to where Agnes was seated who was staring at the two boys with a surprised look.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Grasshopper," Agnes said as she got up. "When you didn't come back with my Golden Bugs, I got worried and had to find them myself."

" _Uh, sorry about that,_ " Link said while Fletch curled up on the floor to cover up his privates. " _Is there some way I can make it up to you?_ "

"I think rescuing me from that bird-faced meanie was good enough," Agnes said smiling. "So I guess we're even now."

Then after she spoke a blue light encircled her and the stone tablet causing Agnes to become transparent. Concerned, Link ran over and tried to grab Agnes but his hand went right through.

" _What_ _'_ _s happening?_ " Link said anxiously.

"I'm being taken to the Sacred Realm," Agnes answered with a casual expression. "Once I played the Bolero of the Western Gale, I've come to the realization that I'm the Sage of the West Wind and must go to the Sacred Realm until the other Wind Sages have been awakened. Find them before time runs out for Skyloft, Grasshopper."

" _Wait!_ " Link said and took out the _Commander Clamp_ magazine. " _There_ _'_ _s a little girl in the Gerudo District who wanted me to have this signed by the author of the series, and I think that author is you!_ "

In response, Agnes giggled.

Surprised, Link nodded. " _So you are the author?_ "

"No, Grasshopper," Agnes responded.

" _But I found a manuscript that had a golden bug on the postage stamp, and the author_ _'_ _s name was Mister Grasshopper._ "

"Oh," Agnes exclaimed. "The one you're looking for is Mister—

Before Agnes could finish, she was gone. Then another circle of blue light appeared right after, prompting Link to walk towards it when he realized Fletch was still naked. After swapping clothes with him, Link donned the green tunic and white pants Lana had given him originally which he had carried with him the whole time. Afterwards, he walked with Fletch toward the ring of light and the two of them vanished within it.

To be continued…


	49. Chapter 49: Restricted Area (Entrance)

Chapter 49: Restricted Area (Entrance)

The light transported Link and Fletch to the outside of the Restricted Area where Wittia and Mister Penman looked surprised to see him.

"Link!" Wittia exclaimed hugging Link abruptly. "Thank goodness you're all right! Mister Penman had to close the door when some Stalfos got close and...what are you wearing?"

" _Oh, this was what I wore when I first showed up in Skyloft,_ " Link answered.

"For some reason, you remind me of something I've seen before," Wittia said thoughtfully. Then she snapped her finger. "Of course! You're the Hero!"

" _What?_ "

"The Hero of Infinite Possibilities, to be exact," Mister Penman said confidently. "That sword and shield of yours were a dead giveaway."

"A while back, Professor Scarab showed me a picture Phosile took of the Cave Mural when it was first discovered," Wittia explained. "The figure which the Professor called the 'Hero' wore green and carried a shining sword, just like you, Link. But how did you know, Mister Penman?"

"Professor Scarab wasn't the only friend Phosile had," Mister Penman answered. "He was one of the few people who visited the Library on a regular basis, and I have a general love for knowledge and so he told me many things in exchange for secret trips to the Restricted Area so he could conduct research in spite of Ganon forcing him into silence. That was how he learned about the Cave Mural, the Time Gate, and the Fused Shadow."

"Fused Shadow?" Fletch muttered as he held his head. "Why does that sound familiar?"

Mister Penman turned to Fletch and seemed perplexed. "And you are?"

" _His name_ _'_ _s Fletch,_ " Link replied. " _He appeared right after I defeated the Watchman, with help from Agnes._ "

"Speaking of which, where is Agnes?" Wittia asked looking behind Link. "She's not sill in the Restricted Area, is she?"

Link shook his head. " _No, she_ _'_ _s gone to the Sacred Realm._ "

"The Sacred Realm? I think I've read about it before."

"It's said to be the resting place of the Triforce that the Goddesses left behind after they made the world and where the evil being known as Ganondorf was sealed into," Mister Penman said. "Also, there are legends that tell of Sages traveling there once they've awakened to wait until the Hero has gathered them all to aid him in defeating Ganondorf once and for all."

"So that means Agnes was a Sage, after all," Wittia said to herself, then she looked at Link. "Then if Link's the Hero, does that mean that Ganon was—

"The evil being? A very likely possibility, given his sudden rise to power and cruel nature," Mister Penman said. "But now that he's dead, it's hard to say."

" _Then if you know about the Wind Sages, can you possibly tell me where they are?_ " Link asked urgently while Fletch kept rubbing his head.

"I can't say for certain," replied Mister Penman. "Since the Wind Sages have reincarnated for generations, I would have to trace their descendants to their present counterparts and that'll take at least a few days to accomplish."

"But we don't have that much time, Mister Penman!" Wittia snapped. "The moon is going to crash down on us three days from now."

"Crystal Cove, Crystal Cove," Fletch mumbled.

"What was that?" Wittia said, looking at Fletch.

"I don't know," Fletch said nervously. "My head's hurting and the name 'Crystal Cove' keeps popping up."

Mister Penman's eyes widened and then he turned to Link. "You said this boy appeared in the Watchman's place, correct?"

" _Basically,_ " answered Link.

Link and Wittia stared at Mister Penman as he circled around Fletch who seemed confused. Upon examining Fletch's back, Mister Penman lifted the shirt Link gave Fletch upward. Then after a few seconds, Mister Penman sighed deeply and motioned Link and Wittia to come over.

Seeing what Mister Penman was looking at, Wittia said, "Is that—

"Yes, Wittia, it's a Shadow Crystal," Mister Penman said, pointing to a large black crystal that was embedded into Fletch at the base of his neck. "But how can this be? As far as I knew, all the Twili had left Skyloft."

" _When did this happen?_ " Link asked.

"Seven years ago, right after Zelda took over," Mister Penman replied. "But if this boy Fletch knows of the Fused Shadow and has a Shadow Crystal in his back, that means Zelda managed to obtain some magical items from the Twili before they left and used them to create the Watchman. This young man was one of them, but somehow the influence of the Shadow Crystal has been overtaken by some greater force that is keeping it dormant for the time-being yet his mind is still slightly warped from its power."

" _Well, Fletch_ _—_ _I mean, Fahlcon did seem to halt as soon as he heard Agnes playing the Bolero of the Western Gale on her clarinet,_ " Link said.

"What did this clarinet look like?" Mister Penman asked.

" _It was honey-colored with golden keys,_ " replied Link.

"Hmm, that sounds like the fabled Clarinet of the West," Mister Penman said thoughtfully. "It must've been passed down to her from a previous relative, therefore confirming her status as a Wind Sage. Now as for why Fahlcon changed to Fletch after hearing the Medley Fragment might have something to do with the fact that while Twili magic is powerful, the power of the Goddesses is greater."

"And since the Sages are the instruments for the Goddesses' power, Agnes' performance of the song caused the Shadow Crystal's influence on Fahlcon to weaken and thus he resorted to his true form which is Fletch," Wittia concluded.

"Exactly," Mister Penman nodded. "Then the reason he has 'Crystal Cove' repeating in his head indicates that Fletch was originally sent to collect all four Medley Fragments and I've heard rumors that there is one at Sunrise Bay's Crystal Cove."

"Then what's Link standing around here for?" Wittia said, and pushed Link toward the way they came earlier. "He should get to Crystal Cove before another Watchman tries to beat him to it."

" _But what about you guys?_ " Link said looking back once Wittia stopped pushing him.

"We'll be fine," Wittia said confidently. "And I'll look after Fletch."

"If you find Karoline and the others, let me know," Fletch said.

" _I will,_ " Link nodded and made his way back to the entrance of the University Library.

To be continued…


	50. Chapter 50: Crystal Cove

**Fifty chapters and still going! Thank you so much for supporting my fanfic up till now and I hope you** **'** **re enjoying it as much as I am!**

Chapter 50: Crystal Cove

By the time Link reached the Zora District, it was around noon but there was no way to tell as the sky was constantly dark and the moon's closeness didn't help either. Like before, the beach was deserted but this time there were monsters located along the beach. Particularly, slimy creatures with teeth called Jeevers and tube-shaped things known as Like Likes. Avoiding them, Link eventually came to the famous Crystal Cove which was composed of literal crystals that seemed to glow despite the lack of light. Here, he came across several Zoras that were scouring the beach.

" _Excuse me,_ " Link asked. " _What_ _'_ _s going on?_ "

"Our leader has gone missing," said one of the Zora. "We think he might've gone here. Raoole is his name."

" _Raoole? You mean the heir?_ "

"He was the heir," answered a third Zora who was female but wore the same armor that the male Zoras wore. "But then Leader Reza retired from the throne, and so now Raoole is leader of the Zoras. Why do you wish to know, stranger?"

" _Because I used to know him_ ," Link answered.

The female Zora scuffed. "Raoole doesn't have any Hylian friends as far as I know, and I'm his sister Rubi."

" _Well, we weren_ _'_ _t exactly friends. I helped him rescue his father when he wandered into the Ralis Temple where a Fused Shadow fragment was located and_ _—_

"Fused Shadow?" Rubi picked up a trident and pointed it at Link's throat. "Are you a spy for Zelda?"

" _No, not at all,_ " Link said shaking his head. " _I_ _'_ _m looking for a fragment of the Medley of Winds and I_ _'_ _ve heard that it might be here._ "

" **So have we.** "

Above the Zoras appeared a group of black birds that circled overhead carrying two men that looked just like Fahlcon except that their eyes glowed purple and dark-blue from the eye-sockets of their bird helmets. The only difference between them was that the purple-eyed one was tall and skinny while the other was short and pudgy. Rubi and the Zoras immediately fled back into the ocean, leaving Link all alone to deal with the Watchmen as they leaped off the birds and onto the sandy ground.

Seeing the Zoras swimming away, the short one laughed in a high-pitched tone. " **Look at them go, Shikrah!** "

" **Indeed, Cestral,** " said the tall one who folded his arms. " **That** **'** **s the shortest time anyone** **'** **s ever run away from us.** "

" **Yeah,** " replied Cestral, and turned towards Link who had his sword out. " **But this guy** **'** **s either too stupid to run** **—**

" **Or he wants to pick a fight with us,** " responded Shikrah, holding one hand in the air where a disk of wind was forming. " **I bet I could take him out in one blow!** "

" **Then do it now,** " said Cestral impatiently. " **We need to find the Medley Fragment and the Sage of the East Wind for the Mistress and find out why Fahlcon never reported back to us.** "

" _Fahlcon_ _'_ _s not coming back, guys!_ " Link said, getting the Watchmen's attention. " _I know this because I defeated him in battle._ "

" **What? No way!** " said Cestral skeptically.

" **How could a mere kid like you defeat one of us?** " Shikrah added. " **We** **'** **re the Watchmen, the most feared beings in this entire city!** "

"Leave the boy alone!" shouted a male Zora who stood on top of Crystal Cove whose armor was more gold-colored than the other Zoras.

" **Oh, hi, Leader Raoole,** " said Cestral who seemed unimpressed by Raoole's statement. " **Why aren** **'** **t you with your palace guards who just fled?** "

" **Maybe he wants to die faster,** " suggested Shikrah. " **Or perhaps he** **'** **s looking for the same thing we are.** "

" **Great,** " Cestral sighed. " **So much for an easy job! Guess we** **'** **ll have to do this the hard way if we** **'** **re to get anything done!** "

" **Agreed,** " nodded Shikrah who released the blade of wind which turned into a spiraling tornado.

While Link stood his ground, Raoole was tossed into the air. An oboe made from black wood with metallic keys that shimmered like water fell onto the ground catching Shikrah and Cestral off-guard. But when Cestral tried to pick it up, he cried out in pain and let go of the oboe.

" **This must be the famous Oboe of the East,** " said Cestral, who looked at his burning hand.

" **Then that would make Raoole the Sage of the East Wind** **,** " Shikrah said as he trapped Raoole in a rotating wheel of wind. " **So then the Medley Fragment has to be inside Crystal Cove. Is that true?** "

Raoole didn't say anything, so Shikrah made the wheel of wind move faster till Raoole started chocking. Link tried to intervene by charging at Shikrah with his sword thrust out, but he was blocked by a wall of birds created by Cestral. By the time Link fought through the birds, the Watchmen were gone along with Raoole. The only thing that remained was the Oboe of the East which Link picked up with ease. But as soon as he did, the Oboe started vibrating and pointed toward Crystal Cove. Taking it as a hint, Link walked up to the face of Crystal Cove and found a small opening.

Inside, there were crystal walls that he saw reflections of himself in. But a little ways off, he noticed a reflection of Cestral and Shikrah carrying Raoole who seemed to have passed out. Link tried to follow them, but was blocked by an invisible crystal wall. He followed along it till he found an opening, but then a few minutes later he came to another dead-end.

" _Its like a maze in here,_ " Link said irritably. " _I_ _'_ _ll never reach them at this rate!_ "

"Wait a minute," Proxi said, flying around the Oboe. "The Oboe seems to be pointing us in Raoole's direction. Maybe we can use it to navigate through the maze."

" _Good idea,_ " Link said, and allowed the vibrations of the Oboe to guide him.

To be continued…


	51. Chapter 51: Hidden Lagoon

Chapter 51: Hidden Lagoon

Eventually, Link came to a stairway made of crystal with a wooden sign-post next to it.

"' _You are about to enter the Hidden Lagoon,_ _'_ " Link said, reading the writing on the sign-post out loud. " _'_ _Enter at your own risk._ _'_ "

Shrugging it off, Link descended the stairway and came into a crystalline cavern with water from the sea coming in through a narrow tunnel forming a miniature lagoon inside. On the other side, Link saw Raoole being dragged by Cestral and Shikrah into a large wooden door on a ledge. Quickly Link put on the Zora Armor, which he still carried with him, and swam over to the ledge just as the door closed. But when Link tried to open it, a pair of gold chains appeared across the door with a gold-colored lock on them.

" _Darn it!_ " Link snapped, slamming his fist against the door. " _Now I have to find a key._ "

"Maybe it's in one of those underwater caves," Proxi said, flying over the water.

Below the water's surface, Link could make out faint outlines of caves along the edges of the lagoon. Diving in, Link discovered an entire ecosystem lay inside this small lagoon consisting of clam-like Shell Blades hopping along the sandy bottom where slimy Dexihands occasionally emerged to snag some Skullfish that were swimming about alongside larger ones known as Desbreko. There was also coral, a few sea plants, and an iron wheel sticking out of the sand. Link swam over to one and turned it, causing the iron bars over a nearby underwater cave to vanish. Curious, Link went over to investigate and found several Bari that were floating underneath the water.

They generated electrical fields when he got close, so Link surfaced and found another ledge that was perpendicular from the one with the big door. Lifting himself onto it, Proxi was there waiting for him and was bouncing happily.

" _What is it, Proxi?_ " Link asked.

"There's a Great Fairy here!" Proxi answered giddily. "I can sense her presence!"

" _What_ _'_ _s a Great Fairy?_ "

"Only one of the most powerful Fairies in the world! They usually hang around Fairy Fountains, and bless wary travelers with special gifts."

" _How do you know this?_ "

"Because I lived at a Fairy Fountain before Lana and Impa found me, dummy!"

Following Proxi, Link entered a small chamber with a fountain that poured water that was so clear he could see the reflections of Fairies that were flying around. Once he stepped in, though, the Fairies flew away and then there was a huge _splash_ at the center of the fountain followed by a colossal woman wearing nothing but vines with long blue hair tied in three braids. She laughed merrily upon emerging from the fountain and then hovered midair looking down at Link.

"Welcome, Hero of Infinite Possibilities," said the colossal woman with a bemused smile. "I am the Great Fairy of Wisdom, and this is my Fairy Fountain. How may the girls and I serve you?"

Link hesitated. " _Well, I_ _…_ "

"Don't be shy about it, little boy," the Great Fairy giggled. "I know what you want."

" _You do?_ "

"That blade," the Great Fairy said, pointing to the Master Sword. "It's the Master Sword, right? Did you acquire it at the Temple of Time, by chance?"

" _No, it was given to me by a sorceress named Lana._ "

"Lana? I don't believe I've ever heard of her," replied the Great Fairy. "Did she teach you how to use the sword's magic?"

" _Magic?_ "

"Then I take it she hasn't." The Great Fairy cupped her hands and laughed. "Very well. I shall teach you a secret technique that will allow you to fire blasts of magic from the Master Sword."

The Great Fairy then released golden sparks from her hands onto Link whose body glowed along with the Master Sword.

"This technique is called the Blast Attack," the Great Fairy explained. "It requires small amounts of magic at a time, but the Master Sword has a limit so don't use too much. Also, I'm giving you this for the journey ahead."

In Link's hand appeared a clear crystal with a glowing blue orb inside it.

"That crystal contains a spell called Nayru's Love. It will create a crystal-like shield around you for a short amount of time. Find my sisters if you wish to acquire similar spells and may the Goddesses protect you."

Then with that, the Great Fairy of Wisdom vanished back into the fountain. Satisfied, Link left the chamber and dove back into the lagoon. He swam toward the cave where the Bari were floating. Activating the Nayru's Love spell, a thin blue orb made of energy appeared around him. The Bari tried to shock Link, but the orb's energy protected him thus allowing him to kill the Bari easily which then caused a large chest to appear. Opening it, Link found a silver device with a shark-like head and a windmill-like blade attached to the back. There were two black handles on either side, which Link grabbed onto.

" _There_ _'_ _s a label on the bottom,_ " Link noticed and read, " _'_ _Zora Steam Propeller: It allows you to fly through the water as well as in the air._ _'_ "

Flipping the switch, the windmill-like blade started spinning. Then Link was propelled forward and almost hit the wall of the cave when he turned at the last second. He flew out of the cave like a sailfish and was able to avoid all the Skullfish and Dexihands from hurting him now that Nayru's Love had worn off. Eventually, Link found another wheel that was similar to the previous one beneath some coral and turned it. Like before, another iron gate over a cave opened allowing Link to swim inside where he had to fight three Shell Blades to get to a small chest with a silver key inside. Using the key to unlock a door with silver locks on it, Link found himself in an underwater tunnel that had Dexihands trying to grab him from above and below. Swimming through them with the Zora Steam Propeller, Link came to the end where a third wheel lay.

This one unlocked the bars over the third cave in the lagoon when Link turned it, thus allowing him to access another small chest that was guarded by a school of Skullfish. Inside, he found a small silver key and unlocked the bars over the fourth cave with it. As he swam inside, the bars closed behind him and a low _rumble_ came from inside the cave. Then a large green head appeared with a gigantic mouth and a serpentine body that had a hook-shaped tail.

"It's Ookeel," said a voice in Link's head that sounded like the Great Fairy. "Use the Blast Attack to do the most damage to him."

Nodding, Link aimed the Master Sword at the incoming head which opened its jaws and a blast of energy shot right into it. Recoiling, Ookeel tried to kill Link with his hooked tail which Link parried easily with the Master Sword. Then when Ookeel tried to swallow Link again, he fired another Blast Attack into its mouth which made the creature twitch violently. This time instead of using his tail, Ookeel turned invisible after making the scales along his body shimmer. The only thing that didn't disappear was Ookeel's tail, which gave Link a perfect target to aim at with the Blast Attack. Once it was hit, Ookeel revealed himself and dissipated into a million scales. A large golden chest appeared, and inside Link found a gold key that matched the lock on the big door Cestral and Shikrah went into with Raoole.

To be continued…


	52. Chapter 52: Cestral and Shikrah

Chapter 52: Bird Ringer Cestral and Wind Wizard Shikrah

Inside the large door with the golden lock, Link and Proxi found an empty cave with Raoole lying on the ground next to a stone tablet. The Oboe in Link's hand vibrated, and then it moved dragging Link toward Raoole. But once Link got close, a trapdoor opened beneath him and he found himself in a dark room with pipes along the sides. Then water started flowing from the pipes, prompting Link to use the Talon Clasp but when he tried to latch onto the edge of the trapdoor above him it was knocked away by a gust of wind. Peering into the darkness, Link saw Shikrah standing nearby with his arms folded.

" **This was a trap created by the Zoras a long time ago,** " Shikrah explained. " **Once the water fills this place, you** **'** **ll be dead in a matter of moments.** "

" _But you_ _'_ _re trapped in here with me,_ " Link said unsheathing the Master Sword. " _So we_ _'_ _ll both die in here._ "

" **Not exactly,** " Shikrah said casually. " **I can conjure a wind that** **'** **ll keep me high and dry while you drown like a fish without gills.** "

" _We_ _'_ _ll see about that._ " Link looked around and said. " _Where is your friend?_ "

" **Right behind you.** "

A flock of birds flew out of the darkness toward Link who immediately blocked them with the Hylian Shield. Then Cestral stepped out and laughed.

" **I** **'** **m impressed you were able to withstand my birds,** " Cestral said mockingly. " **But can you survive this?** "

Raising his hand above him, Cestral redirected the birds to dive-bomb on Link who activated Nayru's Love thus causing the birds to splinter off. They came at Link from all sides, causing him to use the Blast Attack to knock the birds out of the sky. They dissipated into a pile of black feathers upon being hit by the magic blasts, forcing Cestral to conjure more birds. Like before, Link blasted them out of the air but then when Cestral summoned a third wave the Master Sword fired nothing.

" **Seems you** **'** **ve run out of magic, kid,** " Shikrah said as he raised his hand. " **Let** **'** **s see how well you do without it.** "

A spinning blade of wind appeared in Shikrah's hand which he then fired at Link. Dodging them, Link found several pots scattered around the room and broke them open. He discovered several vials of green liquid which replenished his magic upon drinking them. Feeling renewed, Link used Nayru's Love to protect him from a bombardment of birds and wind coming from both Watchmen and then when they stopped he rushed at them.

Once again, Cestral sent a flock of birds in Link's direction. But Link was prepared from them and turned on the Zora Steam Propeller. This generated a blast of steamy air that knocked the birds out of the air and caused them to dissipate into feathers. Angered, Cestral concentrated hard and a pair of black wings emerged from his back. He flew right at Link but the Zora Steam Propeller knocked him against one of the pipes and cracked his bird helmet.

" **That does it!** " Cestral said, throwing off his helmet revealing a face that was covered in skin-like feathers that were blue-black. " **You** **'** **re a dead man!** "

" **Wait, Cestral,** " Shikrah said raising his hand. Then he looked at Link. " **If you hand over the Oboe of the East, we** **'** **ll let you walk away. But if not, then my friend and I shall be forced to kill you.** "

" _You guys are bad liars,_ " Link said as he held up the Oboe. " _I_ _'_ _d rather die than hand this over._ "

Then in one swift motion, Link tossed the Oboe into the air and used the Zora Steam Propeller to launch it up through the trapdoor. He heard the sound of something wet catching the Oboe, followed by a tune that sounded smooth but energetic. The Watchmen heard it too, and they immediately covered their ears and groaned in pain.

" **The Merengue of the Eastern Torrent,** " Shikrah said wearily. " **I heard the Medley of Winds was a powerful song** **…**

" **But one fragment is enough to make me go deaf!** " cried Cestral. " **We need to silence the one who** **'** **s playing it** **.** "

So Shikrah conjured a platform made of wind and levitated up toward the trapdoor.

" _Oh, no, you_ _'_ _re not going anywhere!_ " Link shouted and used his Talon Clasp to wrap around Shikrah's leg and drag him down till he fell on top of Cestral who was still lying below the pipe.

The water had now risen past Link's ankles as he watched Shikrah try to wake Cestral up but he was out cold. Angered, Shikrah also removed his bird helmet which revealed no head underneath except for the glowing purple eyes. He raised his hands and a gust of wind blew all the water up into a swirling torrent that zigzagged across the room. Link managed to dodge it and used his Blast Attack to hit Shikrah directly. After several hits, Shikrah went down and a bright light surrounded him and Cestral.

As the water continued to rise, Link waded over to Shikrah and Cestral and found that their faces had changed to resemble Stitch and Crow only they were slightly older than before. Slinging them both over his shoulders, Link used the Talon Clasp one more time to grab the edge of the trapdoor and reeled himself up. However, the extra weight made it difficult for Link to get up when a pair of fish-like hands reached down and picked up Stitch and Crow's bodies.

" _Raoole,_ " Link exclaimed, recognizing the Zora who stood on the edge of the trapdoor. " _Were you the one playing the Medley Fragment?_ "

"Indeed, Link," Raoole said, placing the two former Watchmen down. "I regained consciousness when I heard you fall into the trapdoor. Then when you threw the Oboe up I caught it and instinctively played the Merengue of the Eastern Torrent. As a result, I now know I'm the reincarnated Sage of the East Wind."

" _That_ _'_ _s good to hear,_ " Link said and looked over at Stitch and Crow.

"Are those the same Watchmen who kidnapped me?" Raoole said glancing over at the two young men in confusion. "They look more human underneath those helmets than I imagined."

" _They weren_ _'_ _t like this when they removed their helmets earlier,_ " Link responded as he turned them onto their stomachs and looked underneath the collars of their uniforms. " _Their faces were more monstrous, then after you played the Medley Fragment they freaked out and transformed into these guys. Plus, I saw the same thing happen to the Watchman I fought before coming here. It has something to do with the Shadow Crystals on their backs._ "

"Really?" Raoole looked at Stitch and Crow's backs and flinched in disgust. "How horrible! Zelda's an even bigger fiend than I imagined."

" _So what do these Shadow Crystals imply and how are they related to the transformations that seem to occur to the Watchmen every time a Medley Fragment is played?_ "

"Like the Fused Shadow, Shadow Crystals are corruptive but they curse a thing to stay in one form whereas the Fused Shadow transforms one thing into another. So Zelda must have kidnapped these men, exposed them to the Fused Shadow long enough to change them into monsters, and then embedded the Shadow Crystals into them so that they'd remain in their monstrous forms. This is the reason the Watchmen wear helmets and clothing that covers up most of their bodies. Then why they changed back into their human forms is because the Medley Fragment was played by a Sage who is considered to be an instrument of the Goddesses."

" _Is there some way to remove the Shadow Crystals?_ "

"Not that I know of, but there's an old professor who lives around here. Maybe he might be able to help us."

But then a circle of light surrounded Raoole causing him to fade away.

"It's all right, Link," Raoole said calmly. "I'm being taken to the Sacred Realm to wait for the other Sages to reawaken. Head down the coast and look for the Marine Research Laboratory. Professor Nautilus lives there, and he'll point you in the right direction."

Then after Raoole vanished, another circle of light appeared which Link stepped into while dragging Crow and Stitch's bodies into it.

To be continued…


	53. Chapter 53: Marine Research Laboratory

Chapter 53: Marine Research Laboratory

With Crow and Stitch slung over each shoulder, Link wandered along the coast of Sunrise Bay until he noticed a dome-shaped house on wooden stilts out in the tide-pools with a metal structure on top that resembled a hook. Curious, Link placed Crow and Stitch on the beach before donning his Zora Armor. Then he swam over to the house and climbed up the ladder that led up to it. Inside, there was a large tank filled with various fish and there was an old man in a blue robe who was examining them.

"Take your flippers off before you enter, young man," said the old man without turning. "I don't like my clean floorboards getting wet."

" _Oh, sorry, sir,_ " Link said and removed the flippers from his Zora Armor. " _Do you happen to know where Professor Nautilus lives?_ "

"I am Professor Nautilus," said the old man as he turned to face Link. "What is your business with me?"

" _Raoole told me that you might be able to help,_ " Link responded sheepishly. " _There are two unconscious Watchmen on the beach that I defeated who now resemble acquaintances of mine, and if you could give me an idea of where to find the rest of the Medley Fragments that would also be helpful._ "

"What makes you think I know any of that?" Professor Nautilus answered cautiously. "I'm a marine researcher, not a historian. Go bother someone else."

" _Please, Professor Nautilus,_ " Link pleaded. " _I_ _'_ _m not a spy for Zelda. My name is Link and I_ _'_ _m the Hero of Infinite Possibilities._ "

Professor Nautilus chuckled. "Do you really expect me to believe you? Anyone can dress in a green tunic and call himself the Hero."

" _But can anyone carry this around?_ "

Link unsheathed the Master Sword and presented it to Professor Nautilus. Intrigued, the Professor examined the sword carefully.

"Either this is the original Master Sword, or a very good forgery of it," Professor Nautilus concluded. "But if it is real, then show me something that a fake wouldn't have."

" _How about this?_ " Link pointed the Master Sword at a nearby pot and shot a Magic Blast at it.

The pot exploded into several fragments which scared the fish and made Professor Nautilus jump slightly.

"By the Goddesses," Professor Nautilus murmured. "You really are the Hero of Infinite Possibilities. How did you come to know Raoole?"

" _I helped him find his father seven years ago,_ " Link said as he sheathed the Master Sword.

"Then you must've been fairly young, judging by how you look now."

" _I_ _'_ _m the same age as I was before._ "

"But that's impossible!"

" _I traveled through time thanks to a Puncture Zelda had created when she got kidnapped by Mayor Ganon._ "

"So you knew her before she became the current Mayor. What was she like?"

" _She was, uh, sweet, considerate, and very bold._ "

"Hmm, if that's the case, I wonder what Ganon did to her before he died."

" _When did Ganon die?_ "

"Seven years ago, I believe."

" _Then it must_ _'_ _ve happened after I fell into the Puncture._ "

"It seems so, based on your story. Now you said you've defeated two of Zelda's Watchmen?"

" _Three, actually._ "

"How did you defeat them?"

" _Well, it wasn_ _'_ _t me exactly. The first Watchman seemed to waver when one of the Medley Fragments was played by a girl who turned out to be a Wind Sage, and then the same thing happened again when Raoole played a Medley Fragment._ "

"I see, then Raoole was a Sage all this time. So the Watchmen must have had something on them that weakened them to the power of the Medley Fragments when they were played by Sages."

" _Yes, they had Shadow Crystals._ "

"Shadow Crystals!" Professor Nautilus exclaimed. "Take me at once to the Watchmen-in-question, boy!"

###

At the beach, Professor Nautilus examined the unconscious men's backs where the Shadow Crystals were embedded. Link watched him nearby while occasionally glancing at the setting sun and the menacing moon.

Then after several minutes of examination, Professor Nautilus said, "It's terrible what Zelda has done to these men, Link, regardless of what she was like in the past. Using dark magic to enslave these innocent people to her will, and then making them do horrible things to keep the citizens of this city in constant fear. Perhaps this Skull Kid fellow who wants to bring the moon down on us is justified."

" _No, he isn_ _'_ _t!_ " Link snapped. " _He_ _'_ _s just a madman who_ _'_ _s interested in causing nothing but trouble that doesn_ _'_ _t benefit anyone but himself! If I can find the Wind Sages and have them stop the moon, that_ _'_ _ll be one less enemy for Skyloft to deal with. As for Zelda_ _…_ _I don_ _'_ _t know what I can do to change her now. All I_ _'_ _ve got so far is this thing called the Time Gate._ "

"Ah, yes, the Time Gate," Professor Nautilus mused. "Professor Phosile talked about it many times before he was executed. Legend has it that the original inhabitants of Skyloft built the Time Gate from fragments of an ancient artifact which had the ability to transport one back through time. Perhaps you should focus less on what you can do for Zelda now and more on saving her in the past."

" _I guess that would make sense, but do you really think it_ _'_ _ll work even if I put it back together?_ "

"That's for you to find out. As for where the next Medley Fragment is, I believe it's somewhere in the Kokiri District. But it's been a long time since I've read about it, so I don't remember the exact location."

" _But it_ _'_ _s enough to give me a start. Also, do you have any ideas for how I can remove the Shadow Crystals from the Watchmen_ _'_ _s bodies?_ "

"The only solution that comes to mind are the Tears of Light."

" _Tears of Light?_ "

"Water that is said to have been blessed by the Light Spirits, who once banished the Twilight Realm from Hyrule long ago. They appear as glowing drops, but most have been collected in special jars called Vessels of Light. A lot of them are stored in the Hyrule Castle vaults, but I believe some were brought to Skyloft."

" _So where are they?_ "

"I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if Zelda has them."

" _Yeah, she_ _'_ _d probably think ahead like that. But thanks for the advice anyway, Professor Nautilus. Look after the Watchmen while I_ _'_ _m gone, okay?_ "

"Sure thing, Link, and I'm sorry for lying to you earlier. These are dangerous times, and I didn't want to suffer the same fate as Professor Phosile."

" _I understand, Professor, so I_ _'_ _ll make sure that his sacrifice wasn_ _'_ _t in vain!_ "

To be continued…


	54. Chapter 54: Sky Canopy

Chapter 54: Sky Canopy

Then after Link helped Professor Nautilus move the bodies of Crow and Stitch into the laboratory, he hopped onto the last Skyloft Rail heading out of Sunrise Bay and into the Kokiri District. Once there, he asked for a place to sleep but none of the Kokiri in the village were offering any shelter. So he went to the Deku Tree but found that his leaves had all fallen, his trunk had turned black, and his mouth was open.

"He's dead."

Link turned and saw a familiar green-haired Kokiri standing behind him. " _Sylvan? Is that you?_ "

"I'm her twin sister Sylvia," the green-haired Kokiri explained. "Were you the one who rescued me from the Owlan Temple seven years ago?"

When Link nodded, Sylvia smiled and hugged him.

" _So, um, where is your sister?_ "

"She went to the Fairy Grove, right before a pair of Watchmen showed up," answered Sylvia.

" _Why would she go there?_ "

"I don't know, something about a Medley Fragment and an instrument."

Link's eyes widened. " _Where's the Fairy Grove located?_ "

"It's through the Sky Canopy. I can take you there."

" _Please do. Your sister might be in danger._ "

###

Southward from the Kokiri village there was a hollow full of tropical trees that were colossal in height with vines and large branches that blocked out the moonlight completely. A series of wooden bridges ran between each tree, though some had rotted away, while the forest floor was covered in a thick mist.

" _What's down there?_ " Link asked, looking down from a cliff he and Sylvia stood on that overlooked the hollow.

"The Haunted Grounds," Sylvia said nervously. "Monsters lurk down there."

A lone _howl_ came from below.

" _How do I get to the Fairy Grove from here?_ "

"Look for the Fairies and you should be there in no time."

" _Okay, thanks._ "

While Sylvia stood nearby, Link crossed a wooden bridge that connected the cliff to a nearby tree. On the other side there was a walkway that ran around the circumference of the tree which then connected to two more bridges. One was to the left of the tree while the other was to the right. There was a gaping hole in the bridge to the right, so Link chose the left one. The moment he did, a non-flaming Bubble came flying toward him. After fighting it off, Link came onto another walkway that had a boulder blocking the only bridge he could access. But when Link lifted it up, a part of the tree trunk's wood slid away revealing a hidden room. Curious, Link went inside and found a small chest. He took a small key out of it and continued along the bridge. However, the bridge wobbled tremendously as a windmill suddenly started blowing air in Link's direction.

Waiting for the windmill to turn away from him, Link made it to the other side and found three bridges along the walkway. Unsure of which one to take, Link noticed a door with a silver lock at the end of the bridge to the right of the tree so he took that and unlocked the door with the small key. There was another chest, only this one was larger than the first, which Link opened to find a pink flower growing at the bottom with pink petals and green leaves.

" _What is it?_ " Link asked out loud.

" **It's a Fairy Flower** ," said a voice from behind the chest. " **Parts of it can grow bigger depending on the user's wishes.** "

" _Who's there?_ " Link unsheathed the Master Sword and pointed it at the chest.

" **Who I am is not important,** " replied the voice as a dark figure emerged. " **Because you'll be dead in a moment.** "

" _A Watchman!_ "

Quickly, Link grabbed the Fairy Flower while dodging something that came out of the darkness. He then left the room inside the tree trunk and was confronted by another dark figure who appeared behind him. Realizing he was also a Watchman, Link attempted to run for the nearest bridge but was blocked by the Watchman from the room. This one was a head shorter than Link with a slender body and red eyes glowing from under the bird helmet. Meanwhile, the other Watchman approached Link who was a little taller with white eyes that glowed.

" **So you're the one who's taking out our comrades one by one,** " said the white-eyed Watchman. " **Did you kill them all?** "

" _No, I returned them back to normal,_ " Link responded firmly. " _Now who are you guys supposed to be?_ "

" **I'm Perregrinn, the Master of Time,** " said the white-eyed Watchman and then he gestured toward the red-eyed one. " **The other is Kyte, and she's the Death Watcher.** "

" _Were you the ones responsible for killing the Deku Tree?_ "

" **He was an old tree,** " Kyte said shrugging. " **And a fool for thinking he could hide the Medley Fragment from our sight.** "

" **Or the Sage of the South Wind for that matter,** " added Perregrinn. " **She's heading to the Fairy Grove, and we must stop her from getting the Medley Fragment before we do.** "

" _Are you trying to save Skyloft or let it be destroyed?_ "

" **That's none of your concern, boy,** " said Kyte impatiently. " **Now die already!** "

But just as Kyte was about to rush Link, Perregrinn held her back. " **Hold it, Kyte. We must stay focused on the mission.** "

" **Right,** " Kyte nodded. Then she pointed at Link. " **But don't think about getting in our way.** "

Then while Perregrinn vanished into thin air, Kyte levitated off into the night sky.

Once they were gone, Link went to the bridge he was originally going to cross but found that it was practically destroyed.

" _Shoot!_ " Link said irritably. " _If only there was some way to get across._ "

Then without warning, the Fairy Flower planted itself into the walkway. Then it grew so big that the stem took up the entire length of the bridge and was wide enough for Link to walk on.

" _So that's what the Watchman meant,_ " Link mused and climbed onto the Fairy Flower's stem.

###

Later, Link came across a Fairy Fountain hidden inside the biggest tree in the Sky Canopy and was greeted by a gigantic woman who looked exactly like the Great Fairy of Wisdom only her hair was green instead of blue.

"I bid you welcome, Hero of Infinite Possibilities," the woman said. "As the Great Fairy of Courage, I'm willing to teach you something that my sisters probably haven't taught you yet."

" _Which is?_ "

"This," the Great Fairy replied showering Link with sparkling lights. "I call it the Spin Attack."

" _What does it do?_ "

"Create a wave of magic when you spin the Master Sword, but the technique uses a lot of magic. So will this, but I think you're going to need it."

The Great Fairy then handed Link a glass crystal that contained a glowing green orb.

" _Is this another spell?_ "

"Farore's Wind, to be exact," replied the Great Fairy. "With it, you can create warp points to move back and forth between without having to constantly travel."

" _I see. Well, thanks a lot, Great Fairy._ "

"Anytime, and may the Goddesses protect you."

To be continued…


	55. Chapter 55: Perregrinn and Kyte

Chapter 55: Master of Time Perregrinn and Death Watcher Kyte

With the Fairy Flower in hand, Link backtracked to the bridge he couldn't cross earlier and found a boulder on the walkway. Removing it, a section of the trunk slid away revealing a hidden room like the others. Inside, there was a small chest with a silver key in it. Link then walked along a bridge with several Bubbles flying in and out which he easily cut down. On the next walkway there was a bridge heading southward while the other went eastward.

" _You know, I haven't seen a single Fairy since we got here,_ " Link noticed. " _Do you think you could find them for me, Proxi?_ "

"Sure thing!" Proxi responded and flew off.

Several minutes passed and there was no sign of Proxi anywhere. Concerned, Link took the southward bridge in the direction Proxi went while dealing with ChuChus that were crawling all over. At the next tree, he found a silver lock on a door embedded in the trunk and unlocked it. There was a large chest inside and when Link opened it he found a big golden key. After that, he took the next bridge that went southward only to be confronted by a blast of air blown by a nearby windmill. To his surprise, the Fairy Flower's leaves widened to form a makeshift shield that kept Link from being knocked off as he made his way across. At the next tree, the two bridges were both unusable. So Link chose one and went along the walkway till he came to a bridge that faced a large door with a golden lock. On the way Keese came flying down along with the flameless Bubbles.

Once they were dealt with, Link opened the door with the gold lock and entered the tree. There were several vines growing inside the hollow trunk which Link climbed onto till he heard something from below. The sound of skittering feet gave Link enough reason to climb up further till he came to a hole in the trunk. Climbing through it, Link found himself on a branch high above the walkway. Hearing the thing crawling toward the hole, Link took out the Master Sword and Hylian Shield. But to his surprise, the only thing that crawled out of the hole was a small black millipede. Then in a matter of seconds, the millipede grew tremendously.

It had orange and red stripes along its body, big black eyes, a pair of sharp pincers, and a silken sack along its back. Link heard muffled noises coming from the sack, and guessed they were the missing Fairies. The millipede then shot silken strings at Link which stuck to the Hylian Shield. Using the Master Sword to cut them off, Link climbed further up the tree while the millipede crawled along the trunk. Using the Talon Clasp, Link fired it at the webbed sack and created enough holes for the Fairies to get out of. Once they were released, the millipede became distracted in trying to capture them again which gave Link the opportunity to go underneath its exposed underside which was pale and slash it several times with the Master Sword. After enough swings, the millipede lost balance and fell down to the Haunted Grounds.

"Thanks, Link," Proxi said after a sigh of relief. "That Wood Louse Milpede captured me when I approached this tree."

" _He probably came from the Haunted Grounds, looking for food,_ " Link guessed.

"Yeah, though I'm surprised the Great Fairy didn't notice anything," Proxi responded.

" _Since it was hidden inside the tree, I suspect she didn't detect its presence._ "

"Maybe, but let's head to the Fairy Grove."

" _Right._ "

###

At the top of the tree, Link saw a floating island several feet above where the Fairies seemed to be gathering which consisted of a circle of bright green trees that shimmered in the moonlight and a crystal-clear fountain with running water. Then Link stepped on something invisible that lifted him slightly up into the air. There were crumbs of bread scattered on the thing Link was on and several more like it further up.

" _It's an invisible staircase,_ " Link realized. " _Sylvan probably left the crumbs on purpose._ "

"Let's hope she's all right," Proxi said nervously.

A child's scream erupted from the island, prompting Link to run up the invisible staircase to the top. He found Perregrinn and Kyte by the fountain where they were attempting to drown Sylvan.

" **Tell us where the Guaracha of the Southern Storm is, Sage!** " yelled Kyte.

" **Or we'll destroy your beloved Wind Instrument,** " threatened Perregrinn who reached into the fountain and picked up a bassoon made of wood that seemed to radiate.

After a few seconds, though, Perregrinn dropped the bassoon as his hands became steamy.

" **What's wrong, Perregrinn?** " Kyte asked irritably.

" **I don't know. The Bassoon of the South started to burn as soon as I touched it, even though it's clearly not on fire.** "

" _That's because they're blessed by the Goddesses while you two are creatures of the Twilight,_ " Link said, getting the Watchmen's attention.

" **Not you again!** " Kyte exclaimed.

" **It seems you didn't quite get the message,** " Perregrinn said folding his arms. " **Either you beat it or we'll have to pick up where our comrades left off and finish the job.** "

" _I'm not going anywhere unless you agree to let the Kokiri girl go._ "

" **No deal, kid,** " Kyte said as she held Sylvan up by her hair. " **She's too valuable to our Mistress, and so I guess we have no choice but to kill you.** "

Then with that, Perregrinn disappeared and reappeared right behind Link. Dodging him, Link then felt something hit him though he couldn't see what it was. This continued several times until Link decided to charge the Master Sword up with magic and release it in a rapid spin. As a result of the Spin Attack, the invisible thing was hit revealing it to be Perregrinn. He staggered for a moment before disappearing again. Link was ready this time and used the Spin Attack to hit him again. Then after a third time, Perregrinn keeled over as his bird helmet shattered revealing his face to be dark blue with dots shining like stars.

" **So you figured it out,** " Kyte said, tossing Sylvan into the fountain. " **Perregrinn has the ability to appear anywhere by warping the fabric of space, thus casting the illusion that he can travel through time. But I'm not into illusions. The dead are my specialty, and they've got a bone to pick with you!** "

Kyte snapped her fingers and several ReDeads spawned into existence. Defeating them with a final Spin Attack, Link ran around the trees to look for more of the green potions he found in the Hidden Lagoon. Fortunately, they were inside small holes in the trees but just as Link found them Kyte summoned a few creatures that had bandages wrapped around their humanoid bodies.

" _Gibdos!_ " Link exclaimed and summoned Joelle from the Ghost Lantern who set them on fire.

" **You have the Poe Sisters on your side, eh?** " Kyte said bemused. " **Well, two can play at that game, you know!** "

Then she summoned several Poes who wore brown garments that crowded around Joelle thus forcing Link to summon the other three. Beth, Amy, and Meg quickly aided their sister and took down the other Poes with very little difficulty. Angered, Kyte summoned three Stalfos who closed in on Link. Meanwhile, Perregrinn managed to recover from the Spin Attack and came up on Link from behind when a hoppy but low tune played through the air. This caused Kyte and Perregrinn to suddenly freeze and fall to their knees while holding their ears in pain. Inside the fountain stood Sylvan holding the bassoon like it weighed nothing looking intently at something carved into the fountain which resembled musical notes.

" **NO!** " cried Kyte. " **We were so close!** "

" **The Mistress will hear about this, and destroy you!** " Perregrinn shouted as Link looked down at him.

After taking care of the Stalfos, there was a brief flash of light and the two Watchman passed out just like Cestral and Shikrah did. While Perregrinn's face changed to an older version of Pip, Kyte's transformation wasn't noticeable due to her bird helmet still being on. But when Link removed it, he saw the face of Karoline only her hair was longer and she looked paler.

To be continued…


	56. Chapter 56: Fairy Grove

Chapter 56: Fairy Grove

While Karoline and Pip were still passed out, Link spoke to Sylvan telling her everything that had happened to him before the circle of light that took Agnes and Raoole surrounded her.

"Tell my sister that I'm fine, okay?" Sylvan said as she vanished.

Link nodded and then turned his attention to Karoline who was just beginning to stir. The eastern sky had turned gray and the moon was now slightly closer than it was before. Karoline's eyes fluttered open and she looked surprised.

"Link," Karoline said faintly. "Am I…dreaming right now?"

" _No,_ " Link said shaking his head. " _I'm as real as I'll ever be._ "

"Zelda said you were waiting for us, and then…everything went blank."

" _I heard_ _you were all lead into a dark room. Was there anything in it?_ "

"I think so," Karoline responded as she rubbed her head. "Something small and gray, with curved horns. There was this weird substance coming from it, and I remember falling to my knees before something was put onto my back."

Then suddenly Karoline convulsed and turned on her side. Grim-faced, Link looked underneath Karoline's uniform and saw the Shadow Crystal pulsing on her back. Meanwhile, Pip was breathing heavily as if in pain though he wasn't conscious.

"What is it?" Karoline asked through gritted teeth.

" _Ever heard of a Shadow Crystal?_ " Link asked.

Karoline shook her head. "Should I know what it is?"

" _It's a corrosive item that keeps something stuck in a certain form. In your case, it kept you and Pip trapped as those Watchmen that were created by the Fused Shadow._ "

"The Fused Shadow?"

" _It belonged to the Twili people before they apparently vanished. It's a powerful relic of theirs that corrupts anything it touches._ "

"Did I try to…hurt you?"

" _Yeah, but you were stopped by Sylvan who played the Guaracha of the Southern Storm._ "

Upon hearing that, Karoline cringed even further.

" _What's wrong?_ "

"I don't know. It feels like my mind is being torn apart."

" _If only I had the Tears of Light right now,_ " Link muttered under his breath.

"Link! Look!" Proxi shouted, flying around the fountain.

" _That's just the fountain,_ " Link said unimpressed.

"I'm not talking about that!" Proxi circled around the edge of the fountain and said, "Look at the plaque, silly!"

Sighing, Link looked at the metal plaque Proxi was pointing to which read, "Here Lies the Vessel of the Last Tears Shed by the Creatures that Dwell in the Light".

" _The Tears of Light!_ " Link exclaimed. " _They were here all along? How did Zelda not find them before us?_ "

"Probably because the Deku Tree hid them from her sight with his magic," Proxi suggested.

" _That would make sense,_ " replied Link. " _But let's test it to see if it's the real deal._ "

So Link took a handful of the fountain water and slowly poured it on Karoline's back. The Shadow Crystal steamed and withered, causing Karoline to cry out in pain which woke up Pip. Initially, he was surprised to see Link and then he slowly got up.

"Link, what are you doing to her?" Pip said nervously.

"It's all right, Pip," Karoline assured. "I'll be fine."

Once all the water had run through Link's hands, the Shadow Crystal had completely vanished from Karoline's back. Amazed, Pip knelt down and touched it.

"What was that thing?" Pip asked.

" _It was a Shadow Crystal,_ " Link answered. " _Zelda was using them to control you guys._ "

"Zelda?" Pip was about to say something else when he suddenly bended over.

Quickly, Link examined Pip's back. " _The Shadow Crystal's pulsing on your back too, just like Karoline's before I removed it with the Tears of Light._ "

"She's calling us," Pip muttered. "The Mistress…says we should head to the Skyloft Prison District to find the last Medley Fragment."

" _Prison District?_ "

"It's where the Twili District used to be," Karoline explained.

" _How do you know that?_ " Link asked.

"I'm starting to remember things, like they were in a dream but I get the feeling they were real," replied Karoline.

After Link applied the Tears of Light to Pip's back, he took an empty bottle from one of his pouches and filled it with some water from the fountain.

" _I need to take care of the others, before they answer to the call as well,_ " Link said. " _You'll be safer up here than anywhere else._ "

"Be careful, Link," Karoline said as she held Pip's head in her lap.

Using a circle of light that appeared behind the fountain, Link was able to warp back to the start of the Sky Canopy. He found Sylvia sleeping nearby and woke her up.

"Did you find my sister?" asked Sylvia.

" _Yes, but she's gone to the Sacred Realm,_ " Link responded.

Sylvia was startled. "The Sacred Realm? But only the Wind Sages are allowed to go there."

" _Well, your sister turned out to be one of them._ "

"I see. That would explain why the Deku Tree gave the Bassoon of the South to her."

" _Do you think you could help me one last time?_ "

"Sure."

" _There are two Hylians at Fairy Grove that are very weak. They wear the Watchmen uniforms, but they're perfectly fine and they need to be looked after. Can you do that?_ "

"Yeah, I would be glad to help."

" _Do you need me to escort you through the Sky Canopy?_ "

"I can find my own way around, but thanks for asking."

Then Sylvia bounded off just as the sun was starting to rise in the eastern sky.

###

Once he got back to the Kokiri village, Link used his Talon Clasp to hitch a ride on the Skyloft Rail that led into the Zora District. There, he payed a visit to Professor Nautilus in the Marine Research Laboratory where Link removed the Shadow Crystals off the backs of Crow and Stitch using the Tears of Light. Though they were initially not happy to see him, Stitch and Crow eventually gave Link their thanks before he left.

Then after that, Link used the Skyloft Rail to head all the way back to the Hylian District where he gave Fletch the same treatment at the Hylian University. He was starting to revert to his previous form as Fahlcon, but after a few Tears of Light fell onto his back Fletch was back to normal. After it was over, he was laid on a cushioned couch in Professor Scarab's office with Wittia beside him.

" _Has Professor Scarab come back yet?_ " Link said as he looked around the nearly vacant office.

"He's conversing with Mister Penman in the library," Wittia said. "The door's already open, so you can go in if you want to."

" _Okay, thanks._ "

Down in the library Link came upon Mister Penman and Professor Scarab having a very intense conversation that he picked up even from a few feet away.

"No! Absolutely not!" Mister Penman snapped. "I have no qualms against you writing pulp-fiction in your spare-time, but I won't have that kind of material in my library!"

"But the students love it," Professor Scarab insisted. "They've been begging me to ask you to add every single issue of _Commander Clamp_ , including the latest ones, to the library's collection. If space or money is the issue, I can certainly accommodate."

"It's not about the money or the space, but rather the principal of keeping our material educational and literary."

" _Um, excuse me,_ " Link said, interrupting.

"Great Goddesses!" Professor Scarab exclaimed. "Did you hear all that?"

" _The part about you publishing the_ Commander Clamp _stories, and that Mister Penman doesn't want you putting them in the library._ "

Professor Scarab gave Link a nervous look. "You won't tell anyone?"

" _Of course not, but I've been looking all over for you 'Mister Grasshopper.'_ "

"What for?"

" _I need you to autograph this latest issue for a fan of yours who lives in the Gerudo District._ " Link reached into his tunic and pulled out the magazine he had been holding onto.

"You make it sound like it's urgent."

" _The fan, Naru, says she'll show me the way to some ruins where the Time Gate pieces are hidden after I've brought back an autographed copy of your work._ "

"Naru?" Professor Scarab paused and then asked, "Any family?"

" _Yes, a mother,_ " Link answered.

"Very spiteful woman?"

" _Yeah, how did you know?_ "

"I met Naru's mother a few years back, when I was doing research on insects in the Gerudo District. But things got out of hand, and we haven't spoken since."

" _Why?_ "

"It was something that I did that I haven't taken responsibility for."

" _Then maybe you should._ "

"Perhaps, but for now I'll sign that magazine for you."

While Professor Scarab signed the inside page of the magazine, Link turned to Mister Penman and said, " _What can you tell me about the Skyloft Prison District?_ "

"You mean the Snowpeak District?" When Link tiled his head in confusion, Mister Penman explained, "There's not much to say. After the Twili District vanished, Zelda ordered a new district be built in its place and she enslaved the Gorons to do it. They created an entire set of artificial snow-covered mountains filled with underground prison cells and inescapable mazes. Supposedly, the Leader of the Gorons himself is imprisoned there. Why do you ask?"

" _One of the Watchmen I defeated said that Zelda was telling him and the others to head there._ "

"In what fashion did she communicate to him?"

" _I'm not sure. The Shadow Crystal on his back was pulsing when he said it._ "

"Of course," Mister Penman realized. "Those Shadow Crystals not only kept the Watchman under control but Zelda was also using them as a form of internal communication. But why would she ask them to go there? Unless…the final Medley Fragment is there. Then all she has to do is find the Sage and the Wind Instrument, both of which might be in the Snowpeak District as well."

" _Then there's no time to waste,_ " Link said turning to the door.

"Now hold your horses, young man," Mister Penman ordered. "You're going to need a plan if you're going to sneak into the Snowpeak District. Security is top-notch there, and the Skyloft Rail doesn't go through it."

" _Then what do you suggest I should do?_ "

"Ride in Number 1735, or Tin-Kan as I've preferred to call him," Mister Penman said as he unlocked the tall cabinet behind his desk and from it emerged a Clockwork Policeman. "I found him in a junkyard a few years ago and decided to tinker with his circuits. He's been reprogrammed to obey my commands only, and will gladly take you to the Snowpeak District."

" _You've got to be kidding me,_ " Link said with slight annoyance. " _What if someone comes up to me while I'm in it, or another Policemen? Then what would I do?_ "

"I'll be remotely controlling Tin-Kan with this device," Mister Penman said holding up a device that was small and square-shaped with several buttons and nobs on it. "You just have to sit back and enjoy the ride. But you'll have to manually control him once you're in the district due to the strong interference signals coming from that place. How does that sound?"

" _You're a clever old man, Mister Penman,_ " Link said excitedly.

To be continued…


	57. Chapter 57: Snowpeak District

Chapter 57: Snowpeak District

Crouched in a snug position, Link rode the Clockwork Policeman known as Tin-Kan along several streets through the Hylian District. People moved aside to let the mechanical officer pass, and they always looked away whenever it showed up. Its metal wheels carried it along to the nearest Skyloft Rail station where it boarded a cart much to the concern of all the passengers. They stood or sat perfectly still while the cart moved out of the Hylian District into the neighboring Goron District. Through the narrow strips of glass that served as Tin-Kan's eyes, Link noticed there were some large gaping holes in Terror Mountain while a carnival-like fair was set up near the base. While the Hylian people got off and went to the fair, Tin-Kan went along a different path that took it to a pair of Clockwork Policemen that were guarding a dark tunnel. They interceded Tin-Kan and held their claw-like arms up defensively.

" _State your identification number!_ " said the one on the right.

In response, Tin-Kan said, " _1735._ "

" _What is your assignment?_ " The one on the left asked.

" _To escort the Goron slaves to the Snowpeak District,_ " answered Tin-Kan.

" _On whose orders?_ " asked the policeman on the right.

" _Ghirahim's._ "

The two Clockwork Policeman's eyes flashed for several seconds before they stepped aside and allowed Tin-Kan through. At the other end of the tunnel, Link saw several Zoras and Gorons in chains marching down a steep path with Clockwork Policemen on either side. Tin-Kan quickly got in line and followed the Gorons all the way down to the bottom of the mountain where a train stood on black rails that ran all the way to the edge of the Goron District and into an area consisting of snow-capped mountains. While the prisoners were piled onto the train till they were all squished together with barely any room between them, the Clockwork Policeman got on top of the train. Then once everyone was onboard, the train slowly moved away from Death Mountain toward the snowy mountains in the distance.

###

"Welcome to the Snowpeak District, convicted felons," announced Ghirahim, who stood on a high platform above the prisoners wearing a white winter coat and fur hat. "Here, you will be put to work while carrying out your sentences. Food and shelter is provided, but it doesn't come for free. You must prove your worth to us before any accommodations can be made, otherwise you'll freeze to death out here. Also, if any of you are planning to escape this prison I would strongly advice against it. Apart from the biting cold, there are electric fences around the district, the train can only be operated by a Clockwork Policeman, and the tracks are made from Shadow Crystals taken from the Twilight Realm which corrupt anything that touches them. Do I make myself clear?"

Everyone nodded their heads nervously.

"Very good," Ghirahim grinned. "Enjoy your stay."

Then after Ghirahim stepped off the platform, the Clockwork Policemen and Moblin guards ushered the prisoners into two lines. The first line which consisted of Zoras went to the mountains on the eastern side which were more snow-covered and icy. Then the second line consisting of Gorons moved to the western mountains which were snowy but primarily made from metal. Once the two lines were gone, Link accessed a keypad with several buttons and arrows inside Tin-Kan and pressed a few to steer it in Ghirahim's direction. He managed to find Ghirahim by a tent that was continuously flapping in the wind and then after speaking to a nearby Moblin he went inside. Curious, Link steered Tin-Kan around the tent out of the Moblin's line of vision till he was standing by the back. Here, Link heard two voices coming from inside the tent. One he recognized as Ghirahim's while the other was deeper but distorted so Link figured it was a Watchman.

"So, Goshawhk, what have you to say about your comrades' lack of attendance?" Ghirahim asked in a pleasant but clearly threatening voice.

" **There's nothing to say,** " said the Watchman presumed to be Goshawhk. " **They clearly failed their missions.** "

"They did more than that, bird-brain!" snapped Ghirahim. "Because of their incompetence, we've lost three of the four Wind Sages along with their instruments and Medley Fragments. That gives us less of a chance to stop Skull Kid from sending the moon down and destroying Skyloft. Now do you have any idea why your comrades failed?"

" **No, sir, I tried to contact them through the Mistress but she came up with nothing.** "

"That's because they've lost their Shadow Crystals."

" **But how can that be?** "

"The only thing that can destroy Twilight artifacts is the Light Spirits, but they've long since vanished from this world leaving only their tears behind in a Vessel of Light. So whoever has taken out your comrades must've found the Vessel of Light and used its tears to destroy them."

" **Then that means I'm the only Watchman left.** "

"Exactly, Goshawhk, which is why you must find this person and eliminate him."

" **What about the last Wind Sage?** "

"Use him as bait to lure your comrades' killer out, and then after you've killed the person responsible take the Sage to the Goddess Statue along with his instrument and Medley Fragment which are sure to be on him."

" **Do we know who this Sage is?** "

"The only thing we've gathered is that the Sage of the North Wind is of the Goron people, but nothing more. Have you been to the Goron District yet?"

" **I have, sir, and I didn't find anything.** "

"Ah, so all we have to do is thoroughly search the Goron Prisons and if any of them are carrying either the Piccolo of the North or the Medley Fragment with the Conga of the Northern Blizzard on it then we've found our Sage."

Gritting his teeth in anger, Link steered Tin-Kan away from the tent and toward the mountains that were made of metal.

To be continued…


	58. Chapter 58: Goron Prison

**Warning! There's going to be a lot of exposition in this chapter, so if you were expecting a lot of action I apologize.**

Chapter 58: Goron Prison

Link made his way into the mountain made of metal without too much difficulty as there was an entrance at the base. Though it was being constantly patrolled by Clockwork Policemen, Link managed to slip by unnoticed inside Tin-Kan. Once he was inside, Link removed himself from Tin-Kan's body and stored him behind a boulder. After that, Link made his way through dim-lit corridors and passages without trying to get spotted by patrolling Clockwork Policemen. Eventually, he found the Goron prison cells which were tight and narrow. But there was one cell that was bigger than the others at the far end, which Link investigated.

" _Darak!_ " Link exclaimed, recognizing the Goron inside the large cell.

The Goron turned his head wearily and then he blinked rapidly. "Sworn Brother?"

" _What are you doing here?_ " Link asked.

"Our Sworn Sister betrayed us," Darak explained. "She imprisoned me for being affiliated with the Twilight Wolves, whom she called terrorists, and forced my people to build this prison for her. Then later, a blue-haired sorceress and the Sheikah Leader attempted to set me free."

" _You mean Lana and Impa?_ "

"Yes, but they were caught," Darak said shaking his head. "I'm not sure what happened to them, but the blue-haired girl left me this to give to you."

Through the bars, Darak handed Link a small rectangular item with several buttons on the outside and a pair of wheels with black stuff wrapped around them.

"It's a Recording Device," Darak said as Link looked at it with a baffled expression. "You press the button that says, 'play' over it to listen to the tape inside."

Scanning, Link found the button Darak was talking about and pressed it. The wheels inside turned as Lana's voice came from the device.

" _Link, this is Lana. By the time you hear this recording, I will probably be dead. A few days after you left for Skyloft, several attacks started occurring throughout Hyrule. Naturally, Lana and I decided to investigate and we soon learned that the attacks were coming from Skyloft itself. So I created a flying machine called the Loftwing to take me and Lana up there, and what we found was horrifically terrible. It seemed that Ganon had captured Zelda and tortured her to the point where she was no longer living. Then he had Cia kill him and transfer his soul into Zelda's body thus turning her into his own personal puppet. Afterwards, he killed Cia as he had no more use for her and sought to control the world below._

" _I blame myself for all of this, and regret getting you involved. You see, a long time ago, Cia and I…were once the same person. Cia was a powerful sorceress who lived in the Valley of Seers and watched the history of Hyrule unfold across the centuries without aging nor interfering with the events as they happened. She could also see into the future, and what she saw was so frightening that Cia could no longer bare to sit idly by. According to her vision, the great evil known as Ganondorf that was thought to have been defeated in the Time of Twilight would return and destroy Hyrule for good. So she sought to further the technology of Hyrule, hoping that the absence of magic might prevent Ganondorf's return and with the help of Gaetano, the Hyrulean King's brother, she created the technologically advanced Skyloft from the ruins of the old one._

" _But much to her dismay, she still saw Ganondorf coming into this world and so she sought to summon the Triforce from the Sacred Realm to take possession of it before Ganondorf could. Yet as she brought Hyrule's most treasured relic into existence, Cia didn't possess all the necessary characteristics to wield it. These characteristics included Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Because of this, the Triforce split into three parts and though she obtained the Triforce of Power the other two left to their respective hosts who had yet to be born which were you, Link, and Zelda. Even then, Cia could not control the Triforce of Power as it costumed her soul and caused her to split into two. The good half of her manifested in me, while the other became the Cia that you met. Instead of using her newfound power to stop Ganondorf, Cia instead aided in his resurrection as he promised to bring her the soul of the one she secretly loved._

" _Then after that, Ganondorf wormed his way into a position of power as Gaetano's advisor only to poison him a few months after Zelda was born and become the next Mayor. Cia had originally planned to kill Zelda as well, but Impa and I interfered. The rest you already know concerning Zelda being locked up in the Goddess Statue and Impa and I fleeing Skyloft, but I feel that I must clarify some things regarding your origin, Link. When Ganon came to power, he disbanded the Knights of Skyloft who protected the skies on the backs of Loftwing birds because Cia had told him that the legendary Hero of Infinite Possibilities would be born from this group._

" _Fearing the Hero would ruin his plans, Ganon had all the well-known Knights of Skyloft eliminated including their Loftwings but a single female Knight managed to save her child by sending him down to the world below on a flying cradle. That child was you, Link, and you were subsequently found in Ikana Valley in Termina by the Romani Ranch family. But while you were being raised as a young farm hand, I was busy experimenting with gateways into alternate timelines which Zelda would later perfect in the form of her Infinity Gauntlet. During one such experiment, I managed to obtain the Master Sword and Hylian Shield from a timeline where the Hero perished and Hyrule was destroyed. Please don't meet the same fate as that Hero, Link, and save Skyloft from Ganondorf's evil for good._ "

The wheels stopped turning and there was an echoing silence throughout the caves except for the sound of heavy footsteps.

"It's the guards," Darak said. "They're coming back from their lunch-break."

" _But I'm not leaving here without you,_ " Link said urgently. " _You're the only one who can help me find the Sage of the North Wind before Ghirahim and Zelda's Watchman do._ "

"Well, you don't have to look no further," Darak said as he stood up in the cell. "Because you're looking at him."

"Just as I thought."

Link and Darak looked down the corridor and saw Ghirahim walking steadily toward them with the Watchman by his side, who had bright yellow eyes shining underneath his bird-helmet, and an escort of Clockwork Policemen.

To be continued…


	59. Chapter 59: Zora Prison

Chapter 59: Zora Prison

Link was stunned as he saw Ghirahim and the Watchman Goshawhk approach him and Darak. So in one swift motion Link grabbed Darak by the neck and activated Farore's Wind. The spell caused Link and Darak to warp to a point Link had set up earlier which was near the front entrance to the Goron Prison. After that, Link dragged Darak behind the boulder where he hid Tin-Kan which Darak looked at with a perplexed expression.

"What's a deactivated Clockwork Policeman doing here?" Darak asked.

" _I used him to sneak in,_ " Link said climbing back into Tin-Kan's body. " _Now I have a plan for getting us out of here._ "

Once Darak listened to Link's plan, however, his brow furrowed. "What about my imprisoned brothers? Shouldn't we set them free?"

" _We don't have time for that,_ " Link said. " _If we don't leave now, Ghirahim and that Watchman will catch up to us._ "

Darak folded his arms. "I'm not leaving this prison until my brothers are released."

Link looked at Darak's beady eyes sternly and then he sighed. " _All right, but how are we going to accomplish that?_ "

"Leave it to me," Darak said confidently. "During my time here, I've heard the guards talking about a switch near the top of the mountain that'll open all the prison cells inside this mountain in case of a need for evacuation. So we'll need to create some kind of distraction that's big enough to give us time to find the switch and activate it manually."

" _Like what?_ "

"A jailbreak at the Zora Prison, for example, would suffice."

###

After defeating the two Clockwork Policemen guarding the front entrance, Link and Darak made their way out into the frozen wasteland. Darak led the way by rolling himself into a boulder while Link ran behind. They eventually made their way to the other mountain and encountered two more Clockwork Policemen. Once they were down, Link and Darak made their way into the Zora Prison which consisted of an icy floor with cell blocks made from solid ice. In each block stood a frozen Zora, making Darak grimace.

"Those monsters!" Darak growled. "Have you got any fire, lad?"

" _No,_ " Link said shaking his head. " _I'll go see if I can find anything._ "

While Darak stood watch, Link went further into the mountain which got colder and slipperier as he went. But to his surprise, at the mountain's center was a Fairy Fountain where a Great Fairy lived. Like her sisters, she was gigantic and barely clothed but her hair was red as opposed to blue or green.

"Never thought you'd see me in a place like this, did you?" said the Great Fairy coyly. "I'm the Great Fairy of Power, and you must be the Hero of Infinite Possibilities."

" _Yep, though that doesn't explain how you got here,_ " Link said, trying to hide the confusion in his voice.

"I was originally in the Goron District, but it was foretold by the Great Fairy of Wisdom that you would need my help here so I moved the Fairy Fountain to this place," explained the Great Fairy. "Now how may I help you?"

" _I need something that'll melt the ice in this prison, like fire or maybe a spell._ "

"What about both?" the Great Fairy showered Link with golden sparks.

In Link's hand appeared a clear crystal that was similar to the spells the other Great Fairies had given him only this one had a bright red fire glowing inside it.

"That is called Din's Fire," the Great Fairy explained. "Once activated, it detonates a huge ring of fire around the wielder incinerating everything in its grasp. But like all Great Fairy spells, it requires a lot of magic to use each time."

" _Thank you,_ " Link said nodding. " _You and your sisters have been very helpful to me._ "

"May the Goddesses see you through to the end." The Great Fairy said as she vanished back into the fountain.

Wondering what she meant, Link made his way back to Darak only to find him fighting against Goshawhk who kept appearing and disappearing constantly.

" **Come on, Goron Leader!** " Goshawhk pestered. " **Try to at least hit me once!** "

Angered, Darak used his fists to smash the ground which caused the floor to shatter beneath him. Sinking into the freezing water, Darak flailed his arms around helplessly and called out for Link to help him. But in a matter of seconds, Darak's body became completely frozen allowing Goshawhk to pull him out without too much difficulty.

" **If you want to see the Goron Leader alive, come to the Ice Caves at the top of Goron Prison,** " Goshawhk said as he vanished. " **I'll be waiting for you there.** "

###

A little while later, Link found a machine that was pumping cold air into the Zora Prison and used Din's Fire to destroy it. Once this happened, a chain reaction caused several explosions that melted the ice in every cell block freeing the Zoras trapped inside. They rallied together with Link leading them and attacked the Goron Prison in full swing. With the Clockwork Policeman and Moblins fully distracted, Link snuck up a path that ran up the mountain leading to a door guarded by a pair of men in black armor carrying large broadswords on their backs.

"Darknuts!" Proxi said nervously. "Lana and Impa encountered them during their travels across Hyrule. They can be nasty and relentless once they've set their eyes on a target."

" _Then we'll need to make one,_ " Link said and looked at Proxi.

Proxi shuttered. "Are you kidding? They'll kill me once they catch up!"

" _I know you can outfly them, Proxi. Just lead them far enough away from the door so I can enter it and then fly back._ "

"Fine," Proxi said reluctantly. "The things I do for you."

Once the Darknuts spotted Proxi flying around, they immediately chased her down the mountain path while Link hid behind a nearby boulder. Then he got up to the door and pushed it inward. Inside he found a metal wheel and figured it was the switch. Turning it, he heard several clicks echoing throughout the mountain before Proxi reappeared.

"Don't ever ask me to do that again," Proxi said sounding breathless. "I was really scared."

" _Sorry, Proxi,_ " Link said apologetically. " _I'm really grateful to you, though. Now let's find the Ice Caves and save Darak._ "

To be continued…


	60. Chapter 60: Ice Caves

Chapter 60: Ice Caves

At the top of Goron Prison, Link came to a wall made of ice that showed a dark tunnel behind it. Using Din's Fire, Link was able to melt the ice wall and made his way into the tunnel. But the moment he stepped in, the floor became icy and moved in a downward slope creating a makeshift slide. Link tried to keep his feet steady as best he could, and managed to reach the bottom without falling.

Before him was a long cave with a solid ice floor. There were several Blade Traps moving from left to right and Keese flying around with blue fire trailing behind their wings. Steadily, Link made his way across the ice while avoiding the Blade Traps. But when the Keese spotted him, they immediately swooped down and breathed the same blue fire that was on their wings which caused a nearby Blade Trap to freeze in place. Using this to his advantage, Link was able to trick the Keese into freezing the Blade Traps which in turn caused the bars on a door at the end of the cave to open.

On the other side of the door, Link came into a narrow stone hallway with icicles on the ceiling. But the minute he stepped forward, an icicle fell down. It would've pierced Link's head, but luckily he got out of the way. So he made a mad dash down the hallway as icicles were falling right behind him. Making it to the other side, Link came across a large chest that appeared out of nowhere and opened it. Inside there was a pair of leather boots that looked exactly like the ones Link wore only they had metal spikes underneath.

Link examined the boots until he came across a label that said, 'Ice Boots: Better for Traversing Icy Surfaces than Regular Boots'.

" _This label looks the same as the one on that Zora Steam Propeller I got in Hidden Lagoon,_ " Link noticed. " _I bet this was made by the same person._ "

So Link tested the Ice Boots on another ice slide located behind the large chest and found that he was able to walk steadily down without slipping. He came into a similar cave that was like the first one only instead of Blade Traps there were moving statues made of ice with glowing red eyes sliding in diagonal patterns.

"Those things are Freezards, Link," Proxi said. "Be sure not to bump into them, or you'll turn into a human popsicle."

Heeding Proxi's warning, Link avoided them as best he could. But when several Freezards cornered him from all sides, Link used Din's Fire to melt them into little puddles of water. As he approached a locked door nearby, Link found a small chest with a silver key inside. Using it to unlock the door, Link came into a room with spiked icicles coming up from the floor forming an icy maze. Navigating his way around, Link had to avoid more Freezards that were hiding near dead-ends and Wolfos with white fur. At one dead-end, however, Link found another silver key in a small chest.

Eventually, Link came to another door that had a silver lock like the first one and used the matching silver key to unlock it. There was another ice slide waiting for him, only this time there were icicles on the ceiling.

" _The Ice Boots will slow me down,_ " Link said as he quickly removed the Ice Boots and put on his regular ones.

This in turn allowed Link to slide down as the icicles began falling. Further down there were icicles that stood up like sharp spikes at various points. Link tried his best to avoid them by shifting his feet slightly while still keeping steady. This strategy allowed Link to reach the bottom of the slide unscathed and into a circular room covered with ice. But as soon as he stepped in, a door shut behind Link.

The floor suddenly rumbled, followed by a gigantic white paw punching through the ice. This paw in turn was attached to a large white bear with milky eyes wearing a blue and silver helmet. On its chest was a silver breastplate while it also had elbow and knee armor plates.

" **In case you're wondering, the creature's name is Bryce,** " Goshawhk said as he appeared on the other side of the room. " **He hasn't eaten anything in several weeks, so he's likely to be more aggressive than usual. Be sure to keep him busy, okay?** "

Then Goshawhk vanished leaving Link alone with the bear known as Bryce. It roared loudly upon seeing Link and used its paw to smash the ice. As a result, the ice broke into several pieces including the spot Link was standing on. Bryce then sank under the exposed water and swam around till he resurfaced near Link's floating ice island. To defend himself, Link used the Zora Steam Gun to force Bryce back into the water and waited for him to swim away before hopping to another ice block.

Bryce eventually surfaced and hopped onto an ice block further away. While he wasn't looking, Link threw a Bomb onto Bryce's ice block which exploded and forced Bryce back into the water. After a couple more times doing this, the breastplate on Bryce's chest fell apart. Bryce became even angrier as a result and pursued Link fervently based on scent alone. So Link took out the Fairy Flower whose sweetness not only disguised his scent to the bear but he also used its expandable leaves to lift small ice blocks into the air in Bryce's direction. Right on target, Bryce was knocked backward by them till he was forced back into the water.

After a few rounds, Bryce sank into the water and came up as a frozen statue. But due to the enormous weight of the creature, Bryce's statue quickly submerged. Once this happened, a gold chest appeared on one of the ice blocks. Immediately, Link hopped to the ice block with the chest and pulled out a golden key from it.

To be continued…


	61. Chapter 61: Warp Ace Goshawhk

Chapter 61: Warp Ace Goshawhk

Using the golden key, Link unlocked the door at the end of the circular chamber. On the other side was a room full of torches that were lit. Near an alcove stood Goshawhk who turned to face Link. Behind him, Darak was passed out with a stone tablet and a small piccolo made of dark wood with light wood keys next to his feet.

" **You finally made it, False Hero,** " Goshawhk said bluntly. " **I can't believe you're the one who's managed to defeat all the Watchmen except for me. In my opinion, they were just weak. I'm actually the strongest member, so be prepared to face my wrath!** "

" _I'm more than ready to face the likes of you!_ " Link said as he unsheathed the Master Sword.

" **Very well, then let's begin!** " Goshawhk said as he vanished and reappeared next to a torch. " **I'm going to blow out every single one of these torches. If you can defeat me before all of them are extinguished, then I'll acknowledge you as the strongest. Fail to, and you die. Got it?** "

When Link nodded, Goshawhk snuffed out the torch with his gloved hands and reappeared next to another torch far away. Link used the Talon Clasp to grab Goshawhk and pull him closer. Once Goshawhk was in sword's length, Link struck him with several blows and strikes. Yet despite this, no blood was drawn and Goshawhk simply disappeared.

" **So that's how it's going to be,** " Goshawhk said as he reappeared by another torch. " **If you want to play rough, then I'll move faster.** "

Then with that, Goshawhk became more frequent with his warping power and soon more torches were blown out. Fortunately, Link managed to grab him before the last torch was blown out and give him more strikes with his sword. However, Goshawhk still did not bleed and disappeared once more. Link waited for him to appear next to the last torch and just as he did a lively tune echoed through the chamber. This caused Goshawhk to crumble down onto the floor while behind him Darak was playing on the piccolo with the stone tablet right beneath him. Link watched in amazement as Goshawhk was covered in light like the others and then he stopped moving altogether.

Curious, Link walked up to the body and seeing the chest slowly rising and falling he was assured that the person inside was still breathing. Then after sheathing the Master Sword, Link cautiously removed Goshawhk's bird-helmet revealing the person underneath to be Grody. Meanwhile, Darak stopped playing the tune and a circle of light surrounded him.

"Now that I have played the Conga of the Northern Blizzard, I now know that I am the Sage of the North Wind," Darak said as he started to vanish. "Therefore, I shall join my fellow Sages in the Sacred Realm. Call us when the moon is closest to the city on this tune which must be played on the Ocarina of Time."

" _But, wait,_ " Link said. " _Where is the Ocarina of Time located?_ "

"Talk to the Professor," Darak replied. "He'll know where it is."

After that, Darak was gone along with the stone tablet which was no doubt the Medley Fragment. Now alone with Grody, Link knew what he had to do. First, he examined Grody's back underneath the uniform. Upon seeing the Shadow Crystal, he took out the bottle with the Tears of Light and poured what was left onto Grody's back. This woke Grody up as he cried out in pain, and then once it was over the Shadow Crystal dissipated.

" _How are you feeling now?_ " Link asked.

"Better," Grody mumbled. "No thanks to you."

Link sighed. " _I bet you were the one who persuaded everyone else to trust Zelda._ "

"Of course I did," Grody said. "Sure, she seemed a little off but I had no reason to not trust her."

" _Only because you liked her, right?_ "

Grody blushed in response. "It was that obvious?"

" _Yeah, I noticed that when you first met her. Now where did she take you and the others?_ "

"Into a dark room, I think. There was this weird helmet that seemed to radiate this black mist. I was the first to be hit by it, and then I don't remember anything else except a sudden pain on my back. But then after that, I felt like I wasn't in complete control of my body as if it were being controlled by something else."

" _That's because it was,_ " Link replied. " _Zelda, or whoever was pretending to be her, was controlling you with Shadow Crystals obtained from the Twilight Realm before its presence vanished from Skyloft. Now do you remember why Zelda wanted to find the Wind Sages?_ "

"I think it was to…either protect Skyloft or destroy it," Grody said as he scratched his head. "I'm not sure. Ghirahim would tell us one thing, but then Zelda always said something different. It was hard to discern what was the truth from the lies."

" _I see._ " Link got up and walked to another circle of light that appeared in the room. " _Your sister's waiting for you in Fairy Grove, and so is Pip._ "

"How do I get there from here?" Grody asked.

" _You're a Rail Rider,_ " Link said, giving his Talon Clasp to Grody. " _You'll find a way._ "

###

The circle of light took Link outside of the Ice Caves, and after that he made his way down Goron Prison and was relieved to see all the Goron and Zora prisoners roaming free with all the Clockwork Policemen dismantled. Ghirahim was nowhere in sight, which Link was concerned about, but he trudged through the snowy wasteland till he got to the train-station. Several Gorons and Zoras got onto the train and were just about to take off when Link managed to hop on. They gave him many cheers and praises all throughout the train-ride till they got to the Goron District where they went their separate ways. While the Gorons went back into Terror Mountain, the Zoras commandeered a Skyloft rail-cart just after a group of tourists left it. So Link joined them and got off just as the rail-cart passed over the Hylian District. Link then made his way to the Hylian University and up to Professor Scarab's office.

To be continued…


	62. Chapter 62: Office of Professor Scarab

Chapter 62: Office of Professor Scarab

Upon reaching Professor Scarab's office, Link politely knocked on the door. To his surprise, no one answered. So he turned the handle, which caused the door to open. Inside, the office was empty but completely ransacked. All the books were knocked from their shelves, the drawers were taken from the desk with papers scattered about the floor, and the glass displays of insects were smashed to pieces. The only thing that wasn't out of place was a gold scarab beetle that lay inside the tray of a potted plant which was the only thing that hadn't been smashed. Link picked up the beetle to examine it and then its wings suddenly unfurled revealing a piece of paper that was glued to the beetle's abdomen. Removing the paper, Link unfolded it.

 _Dear Link,_

 _By the time you read this the Clockwork Policemen will have already taken me, Mister Penman, and Wittia to the Skyloft Prison. Somehow Mayor Zelda found out that I was in possession of the Ocarina of Time, the essential tool needed to summon the Wind Sages from the Sacred Realm once they had awakened so that they can stop the moon from crashing into Skyloft. This confirms a theory I've been working on regarding Zelda's behavior, but I have no time to explain it here. You'll find the Ocarina of Time inside a hidden compartment in my desk along with the song that's needed to summon the Sages. Play it just as the moon is about to hit Skyloft, which Skull Kid said would occur at 6 PM tonight, and the Sages will take care of the rest. Good luck, and may the Goddesses protect you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Professor Scarab_

With a determined look on his face, Link throughly examined the Professor's desk. After several minutes, he discovered what looked to be a hidden drawer beneath the desk. Unfortunately, the drawer had a lock on it with letters inside small rotating boxes instead of a keyhole.

" _What is this?_ " Link asked out loud.

"That's a combination lock," Proxi answered. "Lana told me that they're used to lock up something really important. You can only open them if you know the right combination of letters, though."

" _Well, that's great,_ " Link said irritably. " _What do you think I should try?_ "

"I don't know," Proxi replied. "I'm worried that if you try a word and it's wrong, then we won't be able to open it."

" _But we can't just leave it locked. It's 3 PM now, so we only have three hours to figure out the combination, Proxi._ "

"Let's see if the Professor left any clues, and if we don't find anything in an hour then we'll take guesses on the combination."

" _Fine._ "

So for an hour, Proxi and Link searched what was left of Professor Scarab's belongings. But due to the mess that the Clockwork Policemen had created, it was difficult to tell what was a clue and what wasn't. Yet among the Professor's papers, there seemed to be a few common words that were circled in red ink.

" _Okay, I think there are three possible answers for the combination,_ " Link said as the grandfather clock in the office struck five times. " _Based on the number of blocks, there are six possible letters. So the combination has to be a six-letter word, right?_ "

"Yeah?" Proxi chimed in.

" _So of the words we've found to be circled, only three have six letters. Therefore, the combination must be one of them._ "

"But which one could it be?"

" _That I'm not too sure about. The word 'Medley' would certainly fit since I have to play a song to summon the Sages, but to me that's too obvious. If the Professor didn't want the Ocarina of Time to be discovered by the wrong people, he would've chosen a less obvious word._ "

"Then that only leaves us with the words 'Farore' and 'Statue.'"

Link thought for a moment and then his eyes widened. " _Of course! The answer is 'Statue'!_ "

"How do you know that?"

" _He's referring to the Goddess Statue, a place he describes in his notes as having the 'strongest connection to the Sacred Realm' so summoning the Wind Sages should be a breeze once I play the song there._ "

"I guess that makes sense, but won't Zelda be there?"

" _Maybe, but my biggest priority is getting there before the clock strikes 6 PM,_ " Link said as he turned the lettered blocks on the lock to spell out 'Statue'.

He heard a _click_ and then the compartment opened up to reveal a blue ocarina decorated with the yellow Triforce and a scroll. Unrolling the scroll, Link discovered a short message followed by a set of musical notes beneath it.

" _It says, 'To Summon the Sages of the Four Winds, Play the Song of Rising at the Effigy of the Goddess Hylia.'_ " Link then turned to Proxi with the ocarina and scroll in hand. " _Come on, Proxi, we haven't got much time!_ "

###

As the moon moved slowly down toward Skyloft, Link had just reached the Courtyard of the Goddess which was surprisingly devoid of guards. Then at the feet of the actual statue, Link took out the Ocarina of Time and while Proxi held the scroll before him he played the Song of Rising. It was a quiet but pleasant tune that made Proxi partially sway from side-to-side, and then Fi suddenly emerged from the Master Sword's hilt.

" _Keep playing, Master,_ " Fi said as she rose into the sky. " _I shall open the way for the Sages by appealing to the Goddess herself._ "

So Link did as Fi said and kept playing the Song of Rising. Above him, Fi raised her sleeved shoulders to the sky as a golden circle appeared above the folded hands of the Goddess Statue further up. It was there that the Wind Sages Darak, Raoole, Agnes, and Sylvan emerged onto holding the four tablets in each hand along with their respected instruments. Then together, they combined the tablets into one which floated in the air as they picked up their instruments and began to play the Medley of Winds. It started with the Bolero of the Western Gale which was dramatic but subtle, then the Merengue of the Eastern Torrent chimed in with its smooth but energetic notes, followed by the hoppy but low tune of the Guaracha of the Southern Storm, with the Conga of the Northern Blizzard finishing off with a lively verse that rang out across the sky. When this happened, a strong gust of wind swept across Skyloft creating an invisible barrier that stopped the moon during its heated descent.

While the Sages kept playing, Skull Kid abruptly appeared and cackled mockingly at them. "You think you're going to stop me with those puny instruments of yours? How cute!"

With dark energy pouring from his hands, Skull Kid turned the Sages into stone statues. As a result, the wind ceased and the moon continued to descend onto Skyloft.

" _No!_ " Link cried.

"We failed!" Proxi chimed in. "We're all going to die!"

" _Not quite, Master,_ " Fi said as she floated down to Link's level. " _The Goddess Hylia spoke to me, and says that you must play the Song of Time if you wish to save Skyloft from its imminent destruction which I shall teach you now._ "

Then Fi sang a tune that was both bittersweet and powerful. Link imitated this tune on the Ocarina of Time, which caused a circle of white light to appear beneath his feet. Afterwards, Link saw images of clocks turning back in the process of falling through an endless void.

To be continued…


	63. Chapter 63: Desert Ruins

Chapter 63: Desert Ruins

When Link came to, he found himself back in Nabooru Village just as the sun was coming up and the menacing moon was further away.

" _What am I doing here?_ " Link asked.

From the hilt Fi appeared and said plainly, " _The Song of Time allowed you to go back to three days' prior to the moon crashing down on Skyloft._ "

Link sighed in irritation. " _Great, now I have to find the Wind Sages all over again._ "

" _I would strongly advise against that, Master,_ " Fi replied.

" _Why?_ "

" _Because there's a high probability that the events which transpired might occur again if you attempt to follow the same path._ "

" _You mean if I try to awaken the Sages, they'll just get turned into statues by Skull Kid again and Skyloft will be destroyed?_ "

" _Correct._ "

" _Then we must stop Skull Kid from causing the moon to fall onto Skyloft in the first place._ "

" _Yes, and the only way to do that is by assembling the Gate of Time._ "

" _But what about the Ocarina of Time? Can't I just use it to send me back?_ "

" _To prevent the one known as Skull Kid from destroying Skyloft, you must go back seven years and save Zelda from Ganon's clutches before she becomes the tyrannical Mayor of the present. Now you could use Ocarina to Time to do this, but where you'll end up in the past location-wise is unknown. The fact that you appeared here is a miracle in of itself, which I was unable to predict beforehand. But with the Gate of Time, you can chose how far to go back and which place to end up in the past. That way, you'll have a better chance at saving Zelda then relying on luck alone._ "

" _Why would saving Zelda prevent Skull Kid from destroying Skyloft?_ "

" _It is my understanding that the Zelda you know is not the same as the one who is currently Mayor. Therefore, something must've happened seven years ago that caused Zelda to change. If we can prevent this change from occurring, then neither Hyrule or Termina would be in danger and Skull Kid would have no reason to put on the mask he hides behind, which is the source of his power. Without it, he would have no control over the moon and thus Skyloft would be safe. The choice is yours, but I would strongly recommend that you use the next three days to assemble the Gate of Time rather than attempt to awaken the Sages again._ "

So Link went back to the oasis he slept at when he first arrived and went into a thoughtful sleep. A child's voice eventually woke him up. It was Naru, and she seemed particularly happy.

"Welcome back, Link," Naru said excitedly. "Did you manage to find the author of _Commander Clamp_ and get his autograph?"

" _Uh, yeah,_ " Link said as he reached into his tunic and pulled out the autographed magazine. " _Here it is._ "

"Thank you so much!" Naru replied as she took the magazine happily.

Then when she looked at the autograph, her face suddenly went from happy to surprised.

" _What is it?_ " Link wondered.

"Oh, nothing," Naru said as she tucked the magazine underneath her dress. "Now let's go to the Desert Ruins. That's where the Gate Fragments are located."

###

Without hesitation, Link followed the little Gerudo girl south of the village and into an area filled with sand-dunes and constant storms. Fortunately, there were several wooden poles with bright red flags which Link and Naru followed in a zigzag pattern that eventually brought them out of the storm. Before them stood a series of buildings partially buried by sand with facades depicting scenes of a boy and a slender Gerudo woman standing side-by-side, the boy fighting a metal knight, then a grown-up version of the boy being cornered by two elderly Gerudo women on broomsticks who reminded Link of Kasai and Kouri.

"This used to be where the Gerudo people of Skyloft lived, before someone assassinated the male Gerudo Leader which was then followed by a violent sandstorm. Fearing that the Goddesses were angry, the Gerudo women left this place and established Nabooru Village north of here."

" _Only the women survived? What about the men?_ "

"The Gerudo Leader was the only male at the time, and he died in the sandstorm."

" _Then this happened before Ganon showed up._ "

"Right, and so when Ganon appeared many of the elderly women thought it was odd considering that one Gerudo male is born every 100 years."

" _So how were you born if the previous Gerudo male died, unless your Ganon's—_

"No, I'm not his offspring. My mom confirmed this by telling me that my father was Hylian, but she wouldn't say anything more than that."

" _I see,_ " Link replied, now realizing why Professor Scarab seemed to know Naru's mother and why she in turn was so bitter.

"But enough about me! Let's go find those Gate Fragments!"

Link nodded and followed Naru down a sloped sand-dune which stopped at a stone bridge below. Across the bridge which hung over a deep chasm, Link and Naru entered a large chamber with obelisks containing images of Gerudo men. To Link's surprise, many of them resembled Ganon. Further down the chamber Link and Naru came to four doors that stood in a row with different disk-shaped symbols over each one. The first one was a purple swirl, the second a blue wave, the third a green cloud, and the fourth was a white snowflake.

" _These symbols must represent the Wind Sages,_ " Link guessed. Then he turned to Naru. " _Are the Gate Fragments behind any of these doors?_ "

Naru closed her eyes for a moment and then said, "There is one behind each door."

Satisfied, Link attempted to open one door, but it wouldn't budge. Then he noticed a series of carvings above the symbols.

" _What are those?_ " Link said pointing to them.

"Gerudo letters," Naru said. "They say, 'Beyond these Doors lie the Wind Trials which Upon Completion will Reward the Participant with the Fragments of the Gate. But to Open the Doors one must play a Song for Each Sage.'"

" _Now why would those letters be here if Ganon didn't want anyone to find the Gate Fragments?_ "

"Maybe they were written by someone else," Naru suggested.

From that, Link was able to gather that Lana must've written the message because she knew that he would come there eventually. Now determined more than ever, Link stood before the door with the purple swirl and played the Bolero of the Western Gale on the Ocarina of Time from memory. Once the tune was played, the door opened allowing Link to step inside.

To be continued…


	64. Chapter 64: Wind Trials (Day 1)

Chapter 64: Wind Trials (Day 1)

Inside the door with the purple swirl, Link came into a dark room filled with walls forming a maze of sorts. There were Stalfos lurking on the ground while on the tops of the walls the ghostly light of Bubbles could be seen. Then for a moment, Link thought he saw a crystal ball on an alcove above the maze.

" _This is just like the Restricted Section at the Hylian University Library,_ " Link noted and took out the Ghost Lantern. " _Guess I'll be needing you ladies for this Trial._ "

In response, the Poe Sisters briefly emerged from the lantern and nodded in agreement.

Through the first corridor, Link encountered a couple of Stalfos which were easily taken out once Link summoned Joelle to protect him in a ring of fire. After a few more corridors of this, Link found a stone ladder which he climbed up to the top of the wall. There, he saw the alcove with the crystal ball more clearly though the way was blocked by Green Bubbles. Using Amy, the Green Bubbles were extinguished by her waves of green fire. Then once he reached the alcove, Link struck the crystal ball with the Master Sword which caused the walls to sink down. Across the chamber, there was another crystal ball inside an alcove.

So Link struck the crystal ball a second time and the walls rose. Link then made his way along the walls toward the other alcove but was confronted by Blue Bubbles this time. With Beth's fiery projectiles, Link was able to clear a path for himself. At the alcove Link struck the second crystal ball which caused the bars over a door at the back of the chamber to vanish. After that, Link went back to the first alcove and struck the crystal ball to make the walls disappear. Once all the Stalfos and Bubbles were wandering around in confusion, Link summoned Meg to encase every single one in a ring of purple fire which burned them up. Then Link made the walls appear again so he could get back down the stone ladder and make his way through the maze till he got to the door.

On the other side, Link found himself in a much smaller chamber which contained four different-colored candles. Taking the hint, Link summoned all the Poe Sisters out to illuminate the candles that matched their colors which were orange, green, blue, and purple. The candles in turn lit up the chamber revealing a large triangular object embedded into the floor that had nobs along the bottom similar to a gear and various symbols carved into it including half the swirls that represented the Goddess Din.

" _Well, if that isn't a Gate Fragment I don't know what is,_ " Link remarked. " _Now how do I remove it?_ "

Then right after Link spoke, a ghostly apparition appeared before him. To his surprise, the apparition was a middle-aged woman with blonde hair peeking out beneath a green bonnet that had a purple butterfly pin on the side. Her dress had a similar pattern going on with the sleeves being white, the corset being green, and the dress itself embroidered with purple butterflies. She carried a parasol in one hand and a picnic-basket in the other.

" _Agnes?_ " Link guessed, though he said it out loud.

The woman shook her head. " _I am Abigale, Agnes' late mother and the former Sage of the West Wind. Because you have passed my trial, Grasshopper, I shall reward you with this Gate Fragment._ "

Tapping the parasol on the ground, the triangular object glowed and shrank to the size of Link's hand. Placing it inside one of the pouches attached to his belt, Link nodded to Abigale in gratitude. In turn, Abigale smiled and she vanished in a cluster of Golden Insects which surrounded Link in a shimmering flurry. Then in less then a second, Link found himself back at the entrance to the door with the purple swirl with Naru looking at him with baffled eyes.

" _How long was I gone?_ " Link asked.

"About three hours," Naru said.

" _Really? Because to me it felt like ten minutes._ "

"Weird." Naru then stretched her arms. "I take it you finished the Wind Trial in that door?"

Link looked at the door with the purple swirl, which was now closed, and nodded.

"I think you have time for one more Wind Trial and then after that we should leave."

" _How come?_ "

"Because the sun will go down by then and no one hangs around here after dark. That's when the ghosts of those who died here come out, and I've been told by my mother that they're not very friendly."

Not bothering to tell Naru about Abigale's ghost, Link decided to do the next Wind Trial. He played the Merengue of the Eastern Torrent before the door with the blue wave and stepped in once it opened.

Unlike the first room, this one consisted entirely of water with Skullfish and Desbreko swimming around. Putting on the Zora Armor, Link was able to dive down and then after equipping the Zora Steam Propeller he flew over to a nearby cave with a metal wheel inside. This was guarded by several floating Bari, which Link easily warded off with the Nayru's Love spell. After turning the wheel, the bars over another cave vanished. Swimming towards it, Link encountered a circle of Dexihands around the second wheel. Activating Nayru's Love again, the Dexihands were thwarted allowing Link to turn the second wheel which caused the bars over a partially submerged door at the back of the chamber entrance to open.

Satisfied, Link surfaced on the other side of the chamber and opened the door. Here, he found a ledge which he stepped onto and removed his Zora Armor on. Then on the wall at the back of the ledge there was another Gate Fragment which contained the symbol representing the Goddess Nayru.

"I congratulate you for passing my trial," said a voice behind Link.

When Link turned around he saw another ghostly apparition in the form of a Zora who looked like Raoole only he was much more stout and elderly.

"My name is Rutela, and I was the former leader of the Zoras and the Sage of the East Wind," said the elderly Zora. "I shall give you the Gate Fragment if you tell me how my grandson is doing these days."

" _You mean Raoole?_ " When Rutela nodded, Link said, " _Um, he's doing…pretty well. He took leadership over the Zoras after his father retired._ "

"That's good," replied Rutela. "At least you're honest."

Then Rutela held his hands out on either side of Link which caused the Gate Fragment to shrink like the first one allowing Link to take it. Yet right after Link put the Gate Fragment in his pocket, Rutela vanished and became a swirling vortex of water that encapsulated Link. By the time the water cleared, Link was back at the entrance with Naru looking just as surprised as she was before.

"How do you keep doing that?" Naru asked.

" _Doing what?_ "

"Appearing out of thin air after you go into the door and three hours pass in between?"

" _Oh, that's because the Wind Sages teleport me back after they give me a Gate Fragment when I've passed the trials._ "

"The Wind Sages are in there?"

" _Well, it's not them, per se, but their ghosts who reward me._ "

Naru gave Link a confused expression. "How can that be? My mother told me that ghosts only come out at night."

" _Maybe the ghosts of Sages are special._ "

"I guess," Naru shrugged. "Anyway, we should head back to the village. How many Fragments do you have so far?"

" _Two._ "

"Good, then we'll look for the rest tomorrow."

To be continued…


	65. Chapter 65: Wind Trials (Day 2)

Chapter 65: Wind Trials (Day 2)

After a good night's rest, Link met up with Naru on the outskirts of Nabooru Village. From there, they made their way to the Desert Ruins and back to the four doors. This time, Link played the Guaracha of the Southern Storm before the door with the green cloud on it. Once the door opened, Link went inside and found himself in a room with wooden bridges hanging over deep chasms that were attached to trees carved from stone. Knowing what to do, Link took out the Fairy Flower and used its extendable leaves to leap across bridges with significant holes between them. Along the way, he had to fight Keese and Bubbles that blocked his way. Eventually, Link came to the end of the maze where a cluster of bright green moss grew along the back wall.

"Where's the Gate Fragment?" Proxi asked. "It should be here."

" _I don't know,_ " Link said, examining the wall.

Then a glint of metal shining from underneath the moss caught Link's attention. Examining it closely, Link took out one of the miniaturized Gate Fragments he had for comparison. Immediately, the Gate Fragment Link held glowed along with the moss. It grew so bright that Link was forced to shield his eyes. When the glow died down, Link beheld another large Gate Fragment embedded into the wall where the moss used to be which contained the three crescents that represented the Goddess Farore.

"Well done, Hero of Infinite Possibilities."

Surprised, Link turned around. Instead of a person, the apparition was a small sapling with tiny branches and a happy smile on its face.

" _What are you?_ " Link asked.

"Don't you recognize me?" said the sapling. "I'm the Deku Tree!"

Link raised an eyebrow. " _Shouldn't you be bigger?_ "

"To be precise, I'm a fragment of the Deku Tree's soul that was left behind when he died," replied the sapling. "But thanks to you passing the Wind Trial, I can now be reborn as the new Deku Tree!"

The young Deku Tree's leaves glowed brightly and the Gate Fragment shrunk to fit into Link's hand. Placing this fragment along with the other back into his pouch, Link prepared himself as the young Deku Tree closed its beady eyes and transformed into a whirlwind of leaves that enveloped Link. Like before, Link found himself back at the entrance to the doors but was surprised when he didn't see Naru standing nearby. Instead, he found a note and read it:

 _If you wish to see the girl again, come to the Temple of the Ancients._

 _Yours Once,_

 _Mayor Zelda_

Tearing the note to shreds, Link was about to head out when Fi suddenly appeared before him.

" _Do not act hastily, Master,_ " Fi said calmly. " _You must complete the last Wind Trial before confronting Zelda._ "

"But what about Naru?" Link said urgently.

" _If there is a shred of the former Zelda left in the one who claims to be her, then she won't harm the girl right away._ "

Quickly, Link approached the door with the white snowflake and played the Conga of the Northern Blizzard on the Ocarina of Time. The door opened like the others, and Link stepped inside. Here, there was an icy floor with Blades and Freezards. Like at the Ice Caves, Link tricked the Freezards into freezing the Blades in place. This in turn caused the bars over a door to disappear. With the Ice Boots equipped, Link made his way over to the other side of the icy floor and into the door. On the other side was a wall covered in ice and beneath it was a Gate Fragment containing the other half of the swirls that made up Din's symbol.

"You must be the Hero of Infinite Possibilities if you've made it this far."

In the ice wall's reflection, Link could see a Goron apparition that looked similar to Darak only he was much more taller and wider.

" _Let me guess,_ " Link said without looking. " _A relative of Darak's?_ "

"You would be correct to assume so," said the Goron proudly. "I was his elder brother, Daro, who was once the Sage of the North Wind and a freelance inventor. For instance, it was I who created the Ice Boots and the Zora Steam Propeller which you seem to have used quite frequently on your travels."

" _Yes,_ " Link answered. " _They have been very helpful. Thank you._ "

"Ah," Daro responded. "All my life, I have wanted to hear such praise for my inventions. As a reward, I shall give you the last Gate Fragment for passing my trial. And as a bonus, I'll show you the way to the Temple of the Ancients where you will need to assemble the Gate of Time should you wish to use it."

" _I would appreciate that, actually,_ " Link said. " _There's someone who may be in danger, and I fear for her life if I don't get there in time._ "

"Then it's a good thing you found me, then."

Daro's hands glowed for a second, and then he smashed the ice with his bare fists. To Link's surprise, the ice broke and the Gate Fragment was fully exposed. Then the Gate Fragment shrunk until it fit Link's hand. After he tucked it away, Link watched as Daro became a swirling blizzard which warped Link back to the room with the doors. But as Link watched the doors closely, the faces of the Sages he encountered emerged from them. They smiled for a brief moment and then the symbols on the doors glowed so brightly that they lit up the entire chamber. Link stepped back and watched through shielded eyes as the doors suddenly merged into one gigantic door which depicted the Triforce symbol with three primary figures on it.

The first one on the right Link automatically recognized as himself wielding the Master Sword and wearing the same green tunic. On the left, the second figure looked like Ganon but a more sinister version of him with long fiery hair and black robes. He too wielded a sword but it had a black hilt and was larger in size. As their swords clashed, Link noticed faint outlines that resembled Fi and Ghirahim who seemed to be emerging from the Master Sword and Ganon's sword respectfully. Then above them stood the third figure, who was clearly Zelda, with her arms stretched and the Triforce symbol between them.

" _This is your destiny, Master,_ " Fi said appearing next to Link. " _Always has been, and always will be._ "

Before Link could ask, Fi vanished back into the hilt of the Master Sword. So without hesitation, Link opened the door with the Triforce symbol on it.

To be continued…


	66. Chapter 66: Temple of the Ancients

Chapter 66: Temple of the Ancients

Through the door, Link found himself on a stone bridge that was suspended over a deep chasm. As he ran across, the stone tiles began to shake. By the time he reached the other side, the stone bridge had completely collapsed behind him. Link then turned his attention to the area before him which was a circular area with an amphitheater like structure and stone steps leading up to nothing. It was at the top of these stone steps that Link beheld Naru being forcefully held by Zelda herself.

But as Link stepped closer, he noticed that Zelda did indeed look different. As the former Watchmen had described, her eyes had gone from sky-blue to a sickly yellow color. Her once smooth pale skin had now taken on a pale green tint, with strange symbols tattooed on every part of Zelda that wasn't covered up by clothing. Speaking of which, her clothes had changed from a loose blue skirt and cotton top to a rigid purple dress with her long blonde hair tied up in a bun.

" ** _So…it was you,_** " Zelda said, her voice sounding both distorted and menacing like a man's at some points. " ** _You're the one I thought was dead._** "

" _Zelda, or whoever you are, let the girl go,_ " Link said. " _She's done nothing wrong._ "

" ** _Except aid you, the False Hero,_** " Zelda said, holding Naru tighter as a thin sword appeared in her hand.

"No way," Naru said with surprise. "Link, is this true?"

Link nodded. " _It's true, but that was just a lie Cia spread to keep me from taking Zelda away from Ganon who was planning to use her for his own purposes._ "

" ** _And that's just what he did,_** " responded Zelda.

" _What do you mean?_ " Link asked.

" ** _Seven years ago, when I agreed to go onto Ganon's flying machine to save your life he tried to shoot you down as soon as I got onboard_** ," answered Zelda." ** _But seeing that you're still alive, it seems he failed to finish you off. Nevertheless, I thought you were dead. So for several months, I allowed myself to be tortured by Cia till I was near-death. Once I reached this state both mentally and physically, Ganon decided to make me his successor by killing himself off and then with Cia's help he transferred his soul into me. After that, I killed Cia since she had no more use to me along with Impa and Lana once they tried to interfere with my plans._** "

" _Plans? You mean taking over Hyrule?_ "

" ** _Not just Hyrule, you foolish boy! I want to conquer the entire world, and Skyloft is the perfect weapon to accomplish this! However, a certain masked urchin by the name of Skull Kid has crossed my path recently and he threatens to destroy everything I've carefully planned since my return! Now, if you would kindly get rid of him for me I might be willing to spare you. Otherwise, this Gerudo brat will die!_** "

" _I would never bow to you!_ " Link said, unsheathing the Master Sword. " _Leave Zelda's body now, Ganon, or face my wrath!_ "

In response, Zelda/Ganon laughed. " ** _I wish I could, Hero, but Cia's spell has permanently bound my soul to Zelda's body. In other words, if you kill me then whatever's left of Zelda in this vessel will die as well. So what will you do, Hero?_** "

" _I will save you, Zelda,_ " Link said gripping the hilt of the Master Sword with both hands. " _But I won't let you die by my hand or anyone else's._ "

Then Link used a Blast Attack to send Zelda/Ganon flying into the air while Naru wound up nearly falling down the stairs when Proxi managed to pull her back.

"Thanks," Naru said as Link caught her. "You saved me, Hero."

But just as Link was about to respond, Zelda/Ganon sent a ball of energy in Link's direction. So Link used the Master Sword to swing it back, but Zelda/Ganon reciprocated him. After a few seconds of volleying the ball of energy, it eventually hit Zelda/Ganon who spastically collapsed onto the ground. While she/he was collapsed, Link took out the four Gate Fragments and pieced them together. To his surprise, they melded together and floated out of his hand. The complete Gate, which resembled a clockwork gear, hovered over the stairs for a moment before growing to colossal size. Then as it settled behind the stairs, the designs that covered the front vanished revealing a dark tunnel with empty clock gears spiraling into nothing.

"Now's your chance, Hero," Naru said, pushing Link toward the stairs.

" _What about you?_ " Link asked.

"I'll distract her — I mean, him," Naru responded. "You need to go through that Gate to save the world, right? So get going!"

As Link looked back, he saw Zelda/Ganon appear behind Naru with his/her sword raised. But before she/he had the chance to strike, Link used another Blast Attack to send her/him flying away. Then Zelda/Ganon charged another ball of energy which she/he sent toward Link. Like before, he volleyed it back to Zelda/Ganon who did the same. After a longer period, the ball of energy hit Zelda/Ganon and caused her/him to fall momentarily. But instead of lying down permanently, Zelda/Ganon got back up and flew straight at Link with her/his sword pointed toward Naru. Link parried her/his attack and sent him flying away from the Gate. Once she/he was far enough away, Zelda/Ganon sent a third ball of energy. This time, Link countered the ball of energy with a Blast Attack which sent it back toward Zelda/Ganon who collapsed onto the ground and twitched violently.

"Is he dead?" Naru asked.

" _I don't think so,_ " Link responded. " _But I should leave before he decides to attack me again, and so should you._ "

"Don't worry about me," Naru said patting Link on the hand. "You just need to focus on saving your girlfriend."

Link's cheeks temporarily turned pink, but he ignored the feeling as he played the Song of Time. As he played, the clock gears inside the Gate spun faster. Taking this as a hint, Link looked back, waved at Naru, and then he stepped through the Gate of Time.

To be continued…


	67. Chapter 67: Goddess Sword Room

Chapter 67: Goddess Sword Room

As the darkness began to fade, Link emerged into a dimly lit room where an anvil with a stone sword stood. Behind Link, the Gate vanished to be replaced by a map containing jeweled tablets depicting a world he did not recognize. Then as Link continued to watch, the room changed where the anvil was replaced by a metal table which Zelda was strapped to and in the map's place was a machine with various buttons and nobs. Nearby stood Cia, who was unmasked and preparing a camera-shaped device that was hanging down from the ceiling.

"Now, my dear," Cia said as she placed the red orb from her staff into the device. "What you are about to witness is a creation of mine that has combined magic and science perfectly. This device, which I have called the Code Breaker, amplifies the magic of this stone through a machine that'll uncover the secrets buried in your mind and slowly break them down. You'll feel a slight pain in the head at first, but then it'll gradually get worse the further the Code Breaker penetrates. So either you explain why Ganon cannot unlock the Infinity Gauntlet's power or let the Code Breaker figure that out."

"Do your worst!" Zelda said remorsefully. "All you're going to get is the same answer."

"We'll see about that," Cia said and aimed the device at Zelda.

" _Let her go, Cia,_ " Link abruptly said, appearing out of the shadows.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed. "Where did you come from?"

" _That Puncture sent me to the future of this timeline,_ " Link answered. " _But I made it back and I'm here to rescue you for real this time._ "

"How adorable!" Cia said getting between Link and Zelda. "But I'm afraid that's not going to happen, False Hero."

" _And why not?_ " Link asked.

"Because if you attempt to take my prisoner away, then I'll have no choice but to kill her." Cia tapped her staff once, and the red orb returned to it.

" _You wouldn't dare,_ " Link responded. " _Your master would be mad if you did._ "

"Ganon is _not_ my master!" Cia snapped. "And I'll prove it by killing Zelda."

" _Don't!_ " Link was about to take out the Master Sword, but instead he held out his hands. " _Take my life instead, but not hers._ "

Cia gritted her teeth. "What is Zelda to you?"

" _Huh?_ "

"Is she special, or are you just trying to prove yourself as a hero?"

" _I'm not sure how this is relevant._ "

"Why would you give up your own life for a girl you've barely known for less than a few days? What is it about her that compels you to save her over and over again?"

" _Because she's been locked up against her will by a man who wants to exploit her gifts for his own reasons, has lost her own parents, and was abandoned by her guardians! How could I not be compelled to save her?_ "

"You foolish child! Don't you realize that this story has been played out many times over already? Not just in this timeline, but in many parallel universes as well?"

" _I'm not sure I follow._ "

Cia sighed. "Before my unexpected 'separation' with Lana, I was a Seer. With this staff, I could watch the timelines of several realities and in every single one I found a few consistent elements. The first thing I noticed was a great evil that kept manifesting with the intention of destroying Hyrule, but it would always be thwarted by a young hero clad in green. Then another thing I noticed is that with every incarnation of this hero there would always be a young girl accompanying him. This girl, usually of noble birth, would in turn aid the hero after being captured by the great evil.

"Now do you see the bigger picture? You, Link, are the reincarnation of a soul that has transcended through space and time along with Zelda and even Ganon, who is a manifestation of the great evil that has threatened Hyrule numerous times before. Your story has repeated itself in the past, present, and will continue to in the future in a never-ending cycle of pain and misery. For this reason I made it my mission to break this cycle no matter what happened to me, even if I had to side with the great evil himself. But I could achieve this goal much faster if you help me."

" _How?_ "

"Agree to be mine forever."

Link flinched. " _As a slave?_ "

"No, as a lover, dear boy," Cia said as she used one free hand to touch Link's cheek. "If you pledge your love for me, then together we can end this cycle you're trapped in."

" _What about Zelda?_ "

"I won't harm her, and she'll go free."

"You're such a hypocrite!" Proxi said, flying around Cia's head. "You criticize Link for going after a girl he's barely known, and yet you're all head-over-heels for him even though you've only met him in person recently."

"Silence, Fairy!" Cia shouted as she attempted to zap Proxi with a bolt of purple lightning.

" _Hey, you leave her alone!_ " Link said and grabbed Cia's staff.

"Let go, Link!" Cia said, trying to wrench it from Link's grasp.

The two struggled with the staff between them while Zelda used the edge of the Talon Clasp which she had hidden underneath her sleeve to cut the leather straps that bound her. After a few minutes, though, Link was backed against the machine. Cia grinned maliciously as Zelda managed to unbind her wrists and was currently working on her ankles.

"So you're not interested in me, is that it?" Cia said. "Then I shall kill you slowly and possess your soul once I've wrenched it from its body!"

"No, you won't!" Zelda said as she got off the operating table.

Surprised, Cia turned around. "How did you free yourself?"

"You'd be surprised how useful the Talon Clasp can be," Zelda replied aiming the Talon Clasp at Cia. "It can let you swing from Skyloft Rails, cut leather, and allow me to do this!"

Before Cia could react, Zelda wrenched the staff from her hands with the Talon Clasp. Then in one swift motion, she threw the staff down causing the red orb to crack. This in turn caused electrical sparks to emanate from the machines and from within the walls.

"No!" Cia cried, picking up the staff. Once she saw the cracked orb, her face turned sour. "I'll get you for this!"

Leaving the staff on the floor, Cia stood up and held up her left hand. A Triforce symbol glowed with the top triangle lit up. In response, similar symbols appeared on Link and Zelda's hands only with the right and left triangles lit up respectfully. Then the triangles leapt from their hands and appeared over Cia's hand where a third triangle appeared. Together, the three triangles formed into a complete Triforce with Cia grinning.

"At last, the Triforce is complete!" Cia said. "With this power, I shall rewrite the history of Hyrule in all its various forms and change its future to end the cycle which you two are unfortunately caught in."

"Not so fast, Cia," Ganon said, appearing in the room.

To be continued…


	68. Chapter 68: Darkness

**This is the last chapter of my fanfic! Thank you so much for following, reviewing, and favoriting it! After I take a break, however, I'm planning to write a sequel called** ** _Triforce Shock_** **that takes elements from** ** _Bioshock_** **and combines it with stuff from** ** _Wind Waker_** **,** ** _Phantom Hourglass_** **, _Majora's Mask_ , ****_Minish_ _Cap_ , ****and** ** _Hyrule Warriors: Legends_** **. Hope you guys will like that series as much as this one once it comes out and I'll see you then!**

Chapter 68: Darkness

"Ganon!" Cia exclaimed. "I was just about to head upstairs to give this to you when—

"Enough of your excuses!" Ganon said loudly. "You were only interested in benefiting yourself from the beginning, and using me to achieve that. But what you failed to realize is by aiding me you've given me exactly what I wanted, and because of that your services are no longer needed. Ghirahim!"

"Yes, Master?" Ghirahim said, appearing in a shower of black diamonds.

"Kill the traitorous Seer and bring me the Triforce!" Ganon commanded.

"Very well, Master," replied Ghirahim as he removed his cloak. "I shall do as you bid."

Then Ghirahim summoned the curved sword he used before and attempted to strike Cia with it. But his blade was blocked by Link, who had drawn out the Master Sword in one swift motion. Irritated, Ghirahim withdrew his blade and struck from a different angle but Link parried him. After a few rounds of this, Ghirahim grew increasingly angry which caused his skin to change from pale white to ebony black while his eyes changed from coal black to bright yellow.

" **You are really trying my patience, boy,** " Ghirahim said, his voice having gotten deeper. " **Now you shall face the wrath of my master!** "

Then with that, Ghirahim vanished into something that was attached to Ganon's side. Grim-faced, Ganon took ahold of the thing and pulled it out. It was a large broadsword with a black hilt and a slight curve. He pointed this sword at Link and grinned menacingly.

"I'm going to give you one more chance to get in my good graces, Cia," Ganon said. "Give me the Triforce, or I shall slay the one you love before your very eyes!"

At that moment, Cia's eyes widened and she looked at the Triforce which she held in her hand.

"Don't do it!" Zelda said. "It's a trick."

"Shut up, Zelda!" Cia said and raised the Triforce above her head. "If you want the Triforce, Ganon, you'll have to pry it from my dead body!"

"That can be arranged," Ganon said, and vanished.

He reappeared behind Cia and stabbed her through the chest with his sword. She fell to her knees and with it the Triforce floated up. As Ganon reached out for it, something caused the Triforce to suddenly drift away from him and toward Zelda. She received the Triforce between her two hands and closed her eyes.

"No! Not you!" Ganon shouted angrily. "That power was meant to be mine!"

"You have no entitlement to the Triforce, Ganon," Zelda said as her clothes changed to a white dress with long sleeves and she grew taller. "This is the property of the Goddesses, and you're just a lowly thief who wants to steal it from us!"

A Puncture appeared behind Zelda which she disappeared through along with the Triforce.

"You're not going to get away that easily!" Ganon said as he charged into the Puncture.

" _We can't let him catch up to Zelda, Master,_ " Fi said, appearing briefly. " _You must stop him at all costs before he obtains the Triforce!_ "

Link nodded in agreement and stepped into the Puncture. On the other side lay an endless plane with a blue sky and white clouds overhead, and as Link stepped forward ripples formed on the watery surface he was apparently standing on. Further ahead, he saw Ganon standing erect looking up at the clouds.

"You cannot hide from me forever, Zelda!" Ganon shouted. "I know you're around here somewhere! Show yourself!"

" _Ganon!_ " Link said, holding the Master Sword in an attacking position. " _Zelda's not your heir anymore, so let her go free._ "

"That's all you think she was to me?" Ganon asked, turning to face Link. "I never saw her as an heir, or even a daughter for that matter. She was just a tool to instrument my rise to power — not just over this world but also every single possible timeline in existence!"

" _You're insane!_ " Link responded.

"Says the boy who thinks he can defeat me," replied Ganon. "You may wield the Blade of Evil's Bane, but I have experience on my side."

" _Oh, yeah, we'll see about that!_ "

Then Link sent a Blast Attack at Ganon, who immediately blocked it with his sword. The sword then glowed which allowed Ganon to send the magical energy flying back at Link. But Link volleyed it back and so Ganon reciprocated by doing the same. After a few rounds, though, the magical energy eventually hit Ganon which allowed Link to strike him. Yet despite this, Ganon didn't seem to be affected.

"Is that all you've got?" Ganon said as he got to his feet. "I barely felt a thing."

To Link's surprise, Ganon suddenly transformed into a more sinister version of himself with long fiery red hair, a black robe that trailed like mist, and his sword had blackened with sharp thorny edges along the sides of the blade.

" ** _Come on, kid,_** " Ganon said in a distorted throaty voice. " ** _Give me a real challenge!_** "

Ganon then rushed at Link who managed to block his strike with the Master Sword. The two parried for a while until Link managed to land a hit. It caused Ganon to flinch, but he shrugged the pain off and continued the fight. Later on, Link managed to land a few more hits but like before they only seemed to annoy Ganon.

" ** _Are you getting tired yet?_** " Ganon said as he and Link had their swords locked. " ** _Because frankly, this fight is starting to bore me. So I'm going to grant you a swift death and continue searching for Zelda whom I shall kill slowly. Then, once she's dead, the Triforce will be mine and I can use it to wish you, the Hero of Infinite Possibilities, out of existence._** "

"No!" cried Zelda's voice from the clouds. "It is you who shall no longer exist!"

Then the Triforce suddenly appeared between Link and Ganon causing them to be pushed back by its energy.

"Now, Link!" Zelda said. "Touch the Triforce and wish Ganon had never existed at all!"

So Link dashed forward just as Ganon disappeared. The two men appeared at the same time on opposite sides of the Triforce, but Link was the one who touched it first. With his eyes closed, he concentrated on the wish that Zelda told him which caused the Triforce to glow even brighter than before. This was followed by a painful roar, and then silence. When Link opened his eyes, Ganon was nowhere to be seen and the Triforce flew up into the clouds. There was a bright flash, and then Zelda floated downward wearing the same white dress only she was not as tall as before. She opened her eyes upon touching the watery surface and hugged Link tightly.

" _It's finally over,_ " Link said, putting his arms around Zelda as well. " _Now you're free to live the way you want to, Zelda._ "

"Yeah, about that," Zelda said breaking from Link's embrace. "When I smashed Cia's crystal ball, it destroyed all her spells including one that she had cast upon me seven years ago. At the time, I had no idea she did this but now I know that it was to limit my own powers which were manifesting through the Infinity Gauntlet. So in other words, _I_ was the one creating those Punctures and not the Infinity Gauntlet which merely acted as an amplifier of sorts. I've also come to realize a lot of things since the spell was destroyed, including who I really am and what we must do to destroy Ganon completely."

" _What do you mean? I wished him out of existence, didn't I?_ "

"Yes, you did, but only from this timeline. In order to eliminate Ganon for good, we need to erase him from every single possible timeline."

" _And how are we going to do that?_ "

"By going back in time to the event that caused the never-ending cycle Cia described to begin with. If we can end the cycle before it starts, then Ganon's spirit will no longer continue to reincarnate and threaten Hyrule."

" _Okay, but how do you know this will work?_ "

"Because I can now see everything: the past, present, and future of every single timeline in existence. In truth, I was never always the girl you and your previous incarnations knew as 'Zelda'. Before that, I was once a Goddess known as Hylia who fought against a dark force known simply as Demise in the land that would later become Hyrule. Unfortunately, I could not destroy Demise completely so I sealed him away and sent the only remaining humans up into the sky on series of floating islands that became the first incarnation of Skyloft. But as a result of this decision, I lost my immortality and reincarnated as the daughter of Skyloft's mayor.

"It was here I met a young boy who saved me from the servant of Demise known as Ghirahim and with the aid of my own servant Fi he defeated the newly resurrected Demise with the Goddess Sword of old that had been reforged into the Master Sword with the Sacred Flames. That boy was you, Link, and together we founded the Kingdom of Hyrule from the ground up. However, the evil known as Demise had vowed to return and destroy your descendants before he completely faded away. In the form of Ganon he attempted to take over Hyrule numerous times and capture me to aid him in this cause, but you were always there to stop him. Because of the strength of our souls, including Ganon's, this cycle has continued to repeat itself over and over gain. But now, we will end it and hopefully that'll be the last of the evil that has plagued Hyrule for centuries."

So Zelda took off across the watery surface at a quick but steady pace while Link followed close behind her. No Punctures appeared, but the sky changed to reflect images of different versions of Link clashing swords with many versions of Ganon as Zelda who appeared differently each time aided him. Below, the water grew steadily darker and various symbols came and went.

" _What is this place?_ " Link asked.

"This is the Sacred Realm," Zelda answered. "The original resting place of the Triforce after the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore had created the world. It also serves as a temporary sanctuary for Sages who have been awakened by the Hero so that they can build their strength and aid him in defeating the great evil under my leadership. Right now, I'm using it to turn the hands of time back to the beginning before all of this happened."

As Zelda spoke, the clouds vanished and the sky went black. Meanwhile, the symbols in the water disappeared altogether leaving behind dark water with seemingly no bottom. Then the watery surface was gone and everything was encased in darkness except for Link and Zelda.

" _Where are we now?_ " Link said nervously.

"Before the Goddesses were born, let alone the land that would become Hyrule, there was Darkness," Zelda answered solemnly. "It was both a destructive force and a catalyst for creation. Yet, this dualistic nature was not meant to last. Because both sides of Darkness vied for greater power over the other, it split into two halves. One became Demise, a creature born from destruction that sought to destroy all that was created. The other half, which was known as Life, manifested in a soul that would do everything in its power to stop Demise and allow creation to continue. In other words…

"You are Life," said another version of Zelda that appeared, this one wearing a short-sleeved pink dress with long white gloves and a circlet adorned with downward triangles.

"The good half of Demise," added a third zelda, who wore a dark purple short-sleeved dress bearing a long thin sword.

"Who is the evil half of Darkness," replied a fourth Zelda wearing a long-sleeved pink dress and a white sash around her waist.

"Therefore, in order to start a new cycle, both sides of the being once known as Darkness must be destroyed," the original Zelda said as a small sword adorned with a turquoise hilt appeared in her hand.

Then Zelda impaled Link with the small sword through his heart before he could react. Link attempted to lift the Master Sword, but it fell from his hands and sank into the darkness below. His knees then gave out, and they too sank into the darkness. Soon Link's whole body was consumed as Zelda removed the sword from his chest, and then he was completely gone while Proxi faded into nothing.

"Now a new cycle will begin," Zelda said as the various versions of herself began to vanish one-by-one. "The great evil born from the destructive side of Darkness shall be known as Vaati, the Demon of the Winds. Then the being known as Life that protects creation will manifest in the soul of Linkle, the Heroine in the Green Tunic. I, on the other hand, plan to watch over Linkle in her many incarnations not as a young woman but an old crone with many faces and names."

Once these words were spoken, Zelda vanished just like the others and then there was nothing but the all-encompassing darkness. Then three distinct lights appeared: one was green, another blue, and the third was red. These in turn became figures with feminine bodies that lit up the darkness revealing a dark blue sky with streaks of white light flying onto a barren world. The feminine figures in turn approached the barren world and turned it into a living planet with mountains, forests, streams, oceans, and even people. Once this was done, the three feminine figures flew back up into the sky and in their place stood the glowing Triforce forged anew and glowing brightly as ever.

The End


End file.
